SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: OUGHT – ROOM INSIDE THE WORLD

Ought
Room Inside The World
Merge Records/Royal Mountain Records

Ought’s third full length album takes a step away from the chaotic and frantic punk songs they’ve become known for and moves towards a more refined sound. The transition is made quite smoothly other than a few lackluster moments on the album, such as the closer track “Alice”. The album falls into the art-rock and indie rock category while still maintaining a strong post-punk groove.

Stand out track “Desire” is a perfect slow-burner to sing along to, with a climax of layered backup vocals reminiscent of a gospel choir. The track starts off with a spacey synthesizer and has a fun bass line that carries you through the song with ease. The lyrics speak optimistically about the end of a relationship “Didn’t I say to you not so recent, it was never gonna stay, it was never gonna stay here”. This sentiment can be related to how unpredictable and ever changing the world is, a theme that Ought is quite familiar with in their music.

The song “Disgraced in America” starts off simple with an upbeat guitar riff, but ends up taking the listener through a rabbit hole. The lyrics add a very confusing but suitable aesthetic to the instrumentation “Well I won‘t be here when you take me in” Tim Darcy sings authoritatively. Although the meaning of the song is vague, it does seem to be speaking on the current state of America. By the end of the song Darcy, loses himself in the confusion, singing “Ahhhhh” along to a manic guitar melody.

The excitement of hearing this group explore a new sound makes up for the few filler tracks that come with the experimentation. The album is a bold step forward in the band’s sound and will quench the thirst of Ought fans while bringing in a new audience.

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