Opposite Box - OBscene

Opposite Box

OBscene
self-releaed; 2017

4.1 out of 5

By Dan Weston

I’ve haven’t seen Opposite Box live but that’s all I was thinking about after listening to OBscene. Their album is such a fun ride from beginning to end and I got the feeling it would be exponentially more intense at a concert. The band plays songs that are a little longer than your average pop song. The average time is around eight minutes. There is a lot of jamming but it never feels like noodling. Every note feels accounted for.

The other thing is that the band effortlessly melds style. Experimental rock, psychedelic funk and more. I really need to emphasize how natural the transitions seem in the songs. There are vocals; some good ones at that but the music itself felt like it came first most of the time.

The band opens up with “If You Wanna” which is one of the songs where the vocals do feel more prominent. There is a bluesy/rock vibe to this song. What I loved about it is where the song goes. The vertigo inducing prog rock had my attention. I believe that is a theremin I hear. The band goes into so many places afterwards that it’s hard to really put on paper. It's really dynamic with crescendos and jazzy interludes, and the band is just to get started.

The same kind of ride is given (pun intended) on “Afternoon Sex.” There seems to be some rapping. The lyrics are a bit a lewd and if children are around I would cover their ears. The band continues to crush with “Birds on a Fence (Sarah)” where there is this Door-esque type breakdown that is smooth as velvet on a baby’s bottom.

“Anteater Molly” is a ten-minute funk rollercoaster. The sax work is money in the bank and there is also something that I would call an experimental drum solo. “Creatures” is on point as well with a starry night jazz break while “NüJazz” is a worthy closer.

The band is a technical powerhouse. That's evident right away. Perhaps more impressive is that they are creative and it never feels that they are just showing their chops for a round of applause.

​This is a really good album. Probably not one you will put on after a breakup but one to appreciate as to what a couple of talented musicians can pull off.

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