Originating in the Pacific Northwest, and coming into their full form at Bard College, O-Face have built a reputation releasing alarmingly fun tunes that combine a healthy love for ’90s emo (American Football, Algernon Cadwallader, etc.) and FIFA. Their first album, 2014’s Taste, was a fantastic trip through O-Face’s particular world, giving life to what they refer to as “G-folk”; when considering tracks such as “License 2 Kill (I Wanna Gun)” and “Rebound Rager” this is a particularly apt categorization. However, the power of O-Face comes in the stunning grace with which they pull this off—never does their stoner-ish directness feel abrasive, instead it functions as a vehicle through which they can articulate seemingly whatever they want, not limited to “the disappointment of international soccer star Fernando Torres,” among other things.
Their upcoming EP, Mint, is both a continuation and a maturation; the five songs on the EP include O-Face’s catchiest and best songwriting to date and are yet, still unquestionably, O-Face songs. Aided by recording and production from Joe Reinhart (Hop Along/Algernon Cadwallader) O-Face have positioned themselves in a unique place that combines wide-range accessibility without a compromising on content. “Yolanda” is a perfect example of this as the guitar flirts with drummer Clay Kaledin’s driving rimshots as the song slowly escalates, coalescing in a smashing and nearly triumphant chorus section. These flit back and forth before the third and final section in which Preston Ossman yells and the rest of the band (musically) follows. Ossmans shouts of “you’re the one for me” are so convincing that it seems impossible for this not to be the case.
Mint will be available on June 2 via Father/Daughter and Miscreant Records. You can stream “Yolanda” below.
