EP Review – Fawn by OK Cool (2023) (Take A Hike Records)
Although I have always considered myself something of a fan of Chicago duo OK Cool, courtesy of the fact that two of their superlative singles (Five Finger Exploding Heart Technique and Triple Gooseberry Sunshine) from their previous two Anomia (2019) and Surrealist (2021) EPs frequent my ultimate playlist of 200 tracks, which is something that all self respecting music nerds should waste time obsessing about. High praise indeed fellow cardigan wearers? I am sure you will agree !
However, somehow this latest Fawn EP just seems to draw me in as a body of work much more than the previous two highly acclaimed EPs. Undoubtedly, it is not only because of the increased level of jangled riffs propensities but also because of the sheer consistency of the tracks on a release totally devoid of filler.
At its most dynamic, there is a new found intensity and tempo with 333, 4 What???, and Soaked In running headlong away from the lo-fi energy that they are more typically renowned for and assuming a sense of jangly, indie rock ramshackle that is very much Constant Companion/the softer end of the Dehd catalogue in texture whilst somehow still managing to retain every ounce of OK Cool-ness.
However, the lo-fi jangly indie meets dream-pop vibe is still very much present, albeit with Normal C, Nissanweekends, and Treat Me Nice coercing the sound through a beautifully subtle and melodic fuzz-pop essence, whereas Mud and Whiplash move towards a Big Thief/Jay Som vibe with their beautifully crushed and washed out jangle encrusted guitar sighs.
Fawn is the release that I finally ‘fully get’ OK Cool and it is undoubtedly their most accomplished release yet.
janglepophub.home.blog 