Omni share villainous new single ‘INTL Waters’
The latest offering from Omni opens with grating guitars that have come to sound all too familiar amidst our contemporary preconception of post-punk. But the Atlanta trio quickly quell any concerns that they might have fallen into tedium with a glam glissando and a tale of illustrious villainy.
Following the release of their collaboration with automatic’s Izzy Glaudini, ‘INTL Waters’ marks Omni’s third offering ahead of the release of Souvenir, their first album in five years, which is set to land on February 16th. According to the band, the new song started with minimal intentions but “soon grew lush with melodies and decadent piano flourishes”. It certainly lives up to those promises.
The track refuses to stay in one place for too long, switching between urgent post-punk angularity, Ziggy Stardust-esque glam rock influences, and glossy melodies with ease. Philip Frobos’ vocals are just as unpredictable as the instrumentation that surrounds them, sometimes shouting, sometimes serenading.
At the centre of the restless tune is a playful story of villainy stranded in international waters, where only necessary stops can be made. Of course, restocking the bar is just as essential as refuelling, and there’s absolutely no harm in sending out a helicopter on an ice cream run. Any real sense of menace is undercut by the mischief of the lyrics’ specifics, allowing us to delight in the plot.
Frobos’ central villain seems just as simultaneously skittish, careless and suave as the accompanying soundscape. “Oh, admit it, you don’t feel a thing, do you?” he sings teasingly. “Thinking about the sadness of villains as they float around between imaginary borders seemed interesting and amusing to minimise,” the band explained.
‘INTL Waters’ is just as amusing and mischievous as its premise suggests, committed to playfulness both in its villainy and its instrumentation. Listen to the track below.
Souvenir, the first Omni album in five years, is set for release on February 16th via Sub Pop.
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