9/10
Formed in Februrary of 2017 and based in Montreal, QC, the relatively recent progressive quartet Ostrich Bouquet have released a solid EP in Perennial. Combining everything from post-rock, to blues, and indie, their second release is both impressively technical as well as soulfully beautiful. Featuring Davide Ventulieri (bass, vocals), Jeremy Bozzo (guitar, backing vocals), Michael Tomizzi (drums percussion), and Kyle Podwaiski (synths, guitar, back vocals), Perennial was released on June 1st and is the runnerup to their 2017 release, On Time, As Usual. Sonic and dynamic, the EP was recorded at Avbury Studios by Jamie Snytte and Matt Nozetz, and is described by the band as dealing “with feelings of insecurity in one’s own thoughts as well as loss, but also those of confidence and optimism.”
Opening with “Everything Connected,” the first few chords of which remind me of Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation days, and you quickly get a sense of just how much there is to appreciate within the details of this track. The track features a prominent bass line, and everything from the drums to the vocals, to the outro melding seamlessly into the chanting intro of the second track “Half Is Gone.” Changing time signatures multiple times throughout, “Half Is Gone” evokes a sense of effortlessness and patience that is underscored by some serious technical ability.
The third track, “Your Name” continues the duality of soft and complex and displays a soothing and repetitive guitar riff and awesome drum track. The vocals are spacey and enchanting in a way that reminds me of a male version of Warpaint. The synth is a bit more front and centre in this track and comes together perfectly with the bass, drums and guitar adding a bit of a windy, “Echoes” vibe. The beginning of the next track, “Patronizing,” is much funkier than the early parts of the album, however around the three-minute mark when the lyrics tell you, “Alright, enough is enough,” the track sweeps into a wicked guitar solos that completely catch you off guard. The last four minutes of this track are by far my favourite on the album.
The final track, “A Life Unrelated,” saunters on with a solemn synth adding depth in the background, and the lyrics lament on the complications of identity formation, posing: “are we just reflections of each other/mirrors we can’t see ourselves in.” The track culminates around the final two minutes, picking back up in a way that post-rock bands like This Will Destroy You have popularized. The final track closes with various sound bytes, overlaid with a slow drum beat and an occasional guitar note. This album is as enchanting as it is dynamic.
Written by Jordan Hodgins
*edited by Danielle Kenedy
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