Written by Nolan Primavera
DC-area based duo Origami Angel are back again with their second full-length LP, “Gami Gang”. While staying true to their punk roots, "Gami Gang" branches out into new genres and styles of music in its twenty song run, showcasing everything Origami Angel can do, launching them into a fresh new era of music.
The record starts with the thirty second instrumental intro track “#GAMIGANG”, which introduces the album with a trap beat. This snippet of sound flows seamlessly into track two, “Self-Destruct”, a loud pop-punk track detailing feeling disconnected from someone you previously loved, and being truly alone.
The pace picks up with “Möbius Chicken Strip”, a fun dancey track, with a meaning almost inverse to “Self-Destruct”, talking about wanting to be close with someone and know everything about them. It is definitely a song to blast as the weather gets warmer and the transition to summer begins.
Coming in next with punchy guitars and drums is “Noah Fence”, maintaining the high energy. This song is definitely a crowd mover, and is one to hear live when shows can safely return!
“Mach Bike” starts with some of the best riffs on the album; an extremely strong start to an extremely strong track. Vocalist Ryland Heagy’s voice stands out a ton in this song, hitting high notes well but still giving an authentic, raw sound.
“Isopropyl Alchemy'' experiments with new guitar sounds, similar to those found in goth rock, while still incorporating the pop-punkish elements right alongside them. It was a risk mixing these elements together, but for Origami Angel, it definitely paid off on this track.
“You Won’t” and “Neutrogena Spektor” both fit into the high energy category of music we know and love Origami Angel for making. While listening to this album, one could almost feel the energy of a crowd trying to reach their senses. This music was made for moving.
“Greenbelt Station” takes Origami Angel down a new path, introducing a slower, mellowed-out tone, which is carried into the next song “Bossa Nova Corps”, showing the duo’s versatility, especially in the second song, as it combines the softer tones with strong riffs and faster-paced vocals from Ryland.
Coming in at number 13, “[spoons rattling]” is a very interesting interlude-type track. Starting out soft, then increasing to a crescendo of screaming vocals and string guitars is a perfect lead-in to track 14, “Tom Holland Oates”, a song that contains the core of alternative music; self-contemplation and a breakdown; two of my favorite things!
The classic large crowd singalong song “Caught in the Moment” is next. Lyrically speaking about savoring the little things with the people you love, this song would have the people in the back of the venue crying after singing it out loud with their friends.
Featuring the same “crowd yelling” effect within the song, the next track is “Dr. Fondoom”, another interlude type track piggybacking off the energy created in “Caught in the Moment”.
Another short track, “Bed Bath & Batman Beyond”, contains another one the best riffs on the album. Paired with punchy drums, this song could easily be sung on any alternative music festival stage.
Switching up the tempo as the album winds down we hear “Footloose Cannonball Brothers”. Even with its impactful, swinging chorus, the solemn tone of the song shines through, especially through Ryland’s vocals; tough and emotional.
Closing out the album, “gg” is a highly cinematic song, going through the motions of watching someone you love change in front of your eyes, and eventually having to let them go, evident through the repeated lyric “so this is goodbye”. With both the song and the title carrying double meanings (gg = good game or gami gang), this was one of the strongest points on the album.
Gami Gang is available to stream wherever you listen to music, and you can support them by picking up some new merch from their store or following them on Twitter @GAMIGANG. Don’t forget to tell us what you thought of the new Origami Angel record by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
Comments