Omni - Multi-Task

Omni has only been around since 2016 and their debut album, Deluxe, was extremely well-received and deservedly so as it had all those post-punk attributes that started way back with Joe Jackson, Gang of Four and PIL, e.g, slashing, angular beats and hipster, flat, dead monotone singing. Now, the post-punk mantle is handed to the likes of Ought and Parquet Courts, and let’s put Omni up there as well.

Their new album, Multi-Task, carries the post-punk flag as well as any of those groups past and present. And the band comes with a solid pedigree, with ex-Deerhunter guitarist Frankie Broyles and ex-Carnivores bassist/vocalist Philip Frobos, who write the songs, and have on this second album established a post-punk delivery well worth listening to.

‘Equestrian’ is the first single and a worthy one, possessing all the angular, jerky guitar misdirections and beats, mixed with the vocals that sound like Ought and Parquet Courts, but also have a bit of a Devo thrown in. Omni’s Multi-Task is built around layer after layer of minimal guitar herky-jerkiness, complimentary rigid bass lines, and those flat cool vocals that remain consistent throughout.

If there is any criticism it is that this bass and electric guitar formula becomes a bit too similar from song to song as the album progresses. (About half-way through I had a flashback to Gentle Giant, that pre-punk, post-punk, prog band and can give no explanation for this.)

All and all, Omni do post-punk quite well. While perhaps a bit too angular and repetitive in their delivery on their second album, and less organic than Ought or Parquet Courts, as well as being considerably less campy with their lyrics, they have room to grow, with this only their second year as a band.  It should be interesting as they expand their sound and delivery moving forward, like all great post-punk bands have done over the years.  Omni is a quality new band well deserving of their success and future success.