Atlanta trio Omni are back with a new record that expands upon the jittery art-pop of their debut, reviewed by me here. The new long-player, Multi-Task, drops on Trouble In Mind Records this Friday and it's an album that's full of fine bursts of smart indie of the kind that deserves to be championed by discerning listeners.
Opener "Southbound Station" surges on a take on the Talking Heads '77 formula, while selections like "Equestrian" and "Calling Direct" seem to be taking inspiration from points in the past as disparate as early Gang of Four records and classic Orange Juice singles. At their very best, Omni make this sort of stuff feel natural and a reader shouldn't infer that I'm implying a lack of originality here due to my name-dropping of earlier acts. The propulsive "Tuxedo Blues" blends in a dash of early Postcard Records lyricism even as other numbers ("After Dinner", "Heard My Name") seem sharper and more in thrall to early Joy Division and A Certain Ratio numbers.
A reasonably concise expression of the sort of indie-pop being perfected elsewhere by bands as diverse as EZTV and Expert Alterations, the angular and nimble music of Omni is effortlessly unassuming and largely pretty charming. Multi-Task will, hopefully, get this band even more attention than their last album did.
Multi-Task by Omni is out on Friday via Trouble In Mind Records. More details on Omni via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Sebastian Weiss]