Lifting the Underworld’s skirt, to reveal a world of ancient impulses worthy of Hieronymus Bosch’s paintings, is Opus Kink’s debut album, The Sweet Goodbye.
Formed in Brighton, the British seaside town, Opus Kink have already released two beefy EPs and carved out a unique presence on the live scene. Led by Angus Rogers’ vocals, the band’s cacophonous sound is built on soaring horns, from Jed Morgans’ saxophone to Jack Banjo Courtney’s jazz trombone. The “musically synergised” brothers Sam and Fin Abbo drive the rhythm section on bass and drums, while the deeply magnetic pianist, Jazz Pope, completes their sonic world.
Their summer release oozes sex, ecstatic delirium, and the release of profane wailing. Ironically titled The Sweet Goodbye, the album introduces the lurid, greasy characters imagined by the band, who appear concerned with the big three: sex, existentialism, and debauchery. Through hypnotic whirling compositions, Opus Kink captures both pandemonium and the gripes of our time.
Opening track “Come Over, Do Me Wrong” traces the familiar thematic path of their popular track “I Wanna Live With You,” romantic yet dirty. This time, even better. Erupting with a trumpeting rhythm that teeters between cosmic and devilish, they concoct a fine draft of rock. The composition is fleshy and balanced with a thick driving base paired with those summersaulting jazz horns. Morgans and Courtney elevate these tracks tenfold with horns that shift from jazzy and saucy to mournful carnality, depending on the moment. The band is compelling in its uniqueness.
Opus Kink paint a darker side of the human psyche through subtly off-kilter vocals and electrifying instrumentation. “Come Over, Do Me Wrong” tumbles down a rabbit hole before resurfacing for breath. It’s a killer opener that announces the sensual and transgressive themes that “Will It Come For You?” immediately picks back up.
Another notable track, thanks in part to the title, is “I’m a Pretty Showboy.” It opens with a thumping electric drumkit before quickly layering into a full punk orchestra. Rogers’ gravelly vocals dispense dark truths. “If you want a full belly, then get on your knees” he sings, as if delivering the orders of a very dodgy boss. The idea of the showboy reminds us of the himbo or aspiring stay-at-home dad, a masculinity that is a lot more welcomed today.
Whirling into hypnotic repetitions, the band’s chorus chants, “I’m a pretty showboy, I don’t want to be free.” The seemingly endlessly picked guitar rhythm creates a spinning sensation, like running arm in arm through an imagined tavern. In pantomime style, they seal the deal at the end of the song with a noisy kiss.
Every track of this debut album feels worthy of mention. The instrumental pause of “Peckham Nocturne” echoes some of the whispered vocals and blurred texture of contemporary vocalist Clari, of mary in the junkyard. Meanwhile, the immediate shouts of “I Have To Shine My Sunday Shoes” wheels out what sounds like the twang of a ship’s organ or odd music-box.
Brighton-based The New Eves hurtle Opus Kink deeper into folk-punk fantasia with their feature on “The Head Tree”. Wild vocal calls merge with an unusual addition of funky electronics. These broad compositions exist within the same impish logic that runs throughout the release. Drops of madness are stirred with moments of genius on The Sweet Goodbye. A haunted circus of profanity emerges, creating a delightfully sordid caricature of modern men.
CONE Score: 70 /100