olth - Every Day Is Someone's Special Day

Labels: Larry Records/Mob Records/Partymouse Records/Vamonos Tapes/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 02 Jun 2023

Tracklist:

1. Thinking Of You...

2. Oh My God I Hate This Feeling, My Heart Won't Stop Beating

3. Somebody Tell Me, Am I Alone

4. Memories Last Forever, So Do Scars

5. >_<

6. Looking Through The Hole In My Head

7. Song For Jordan

8. Screamo Sucks

9. The Last Song

I'm in the midst of another music buying spree. Maybe it's because the cold nights are starting to draw in again and I'm not already surrounded by enough records! Who knows how long it's going to last. In between catching up on what I have picked up and waiting for what's to come, I'm starting this month off with some good old NYC screamo in the form of olth and their 2023 album Every Day Is Someone's Special Day. 

Originally released digitally by the band, as well as on tape/LP via Larry Records/Zegema Beach Records and on cdr through Partymouse Records in 2023, it has very recently been released on vinyl by Larry and ZBR, while seeing tape and cd represses via Mob Records and Vamonos Tape respectively. Bandcamp recommends olth for fans of Portrayal Of Guilt, G.L.O.S.S., Respire and Chat Pile (to name a few), which is a pretty diverse pool to draw from. 

I must start by apologising for not using the same random capital letters as olth do in their album and song titles. I’m trying to be as efficient with my time as I can be. It’s not often that a screamo album kicks off with a properly lengthy song and the same is true here, as ‘Thinking Of You…’ launches at you with shrieking vocals, manic riffs and an intense low end of bass/percussion. At times it seems to venture into chugging hardcore/sludge realms but that’s fine with me!

The album as a whole is more emoviolence than powerviolence though, as ‘Oh My God I Hate This Feeling, My Heart Won't Stop Beating’ delivers upbeat punk vibes that quickly transition into something that could have be dreamt up by From A Second Story Window and The Body (if they were ever left alone in a room together). 

The two-minute flat ‘Somebody Tell Me, Am I Alone’ hits the spot without going gung-ho. It’s more tempered back, relying on atmosphere, which is actually pretty cool set against olth’s more chaotic songs. ‘Memories Last Forever, So Do Scars’ picks up the pace yet it goes hard on the groovy/danceable tempos before settling back down again. Evidence that olth’s song-writing is already superior, even on their debut!

Right at the album’s midway point, ‘>_<‘ delivers the most expansive auditory experience so far. It’s gentle to build and while olth’s yearning to explode does overspill, the so-called explosion is a controlled one. It’s a glorious way to shine light on the latter half of the album. 

That latter half begins with the vivid yet imaginatively named ‘Looking Through The Hole In My Head’, which after an amusing sample opens out into an unflinchingly great mathcore song. It’s over far too quickly but it leaves a mark for sure. Surprisingly, after such a heavy track, the gentle guitar and spoken word of ‘Song For Jordan’ is perfectly placed. It again gives way to heaviness later on but heralds yet more brilliant song-writing also.

Before you know it you’ve reached the penultimate and (maybe?) tongue-in-cheek ‘Screamo Sucks’, that literally banishes any such notion within seconds thanks to it’s top notch screamo. After sixty-seconds or so it retreats into subtle ambient noise and soft piano, leaving you guessing as album closer ‘The Last Song’ takes over. It’s start/stop, loud/quiet dynamic is employed seemingly at random yet in perfect order too.

Just when you think you’ve heard every possible iteration of a particular musical style (or styles), there’s always another one waiting just around the corner. This evening olth was waiting around that corner and I’m so glad they were. If you missed this album last year, then now is a good time to right that wrong. It’s excellent!

You can stream and grab the album digitally from olth below (there were some super limited leftover tapes but they're sold out):-

Physical copies can be still be purchased from ZBR below:-

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases

Additional links:-

Larry Records - https://www.facebook.com/larryscrammo

Mob Records - https://www.instagram.com/mobeightrecords/

Partymouse Records - https://partymouse.bigcartel.com

Vamonos Tapes - https://vamonostapes.bandcamp.com

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords