Oh No Ono - Eggs [Album]

Friendly Fire Recordings

What is experimental music? How do you define something that is supposed to defy all definitions and push music in unforeseen and unpredictable directions? I generally try to steer clear of definitions in music and art. Most people today are so preoccupied with what genre they’re listening to and how it reflects on them that they don’t actually pay much attention to the music itself. Thus, there are primarily two ways I can approach Oh No Ono’s album, ‘Eggs’. I can either review it in the safe light of its own genre or see how it stands alone as music.

As an experimental album, it ticks all the right boxes. Most of the melodies on the album are unpredictable and surprising. Each track branches off from its main melodic course, exploring all the available possibilities both in terms of instrumentation and in terms of vocals. When listening to most music I can usually tell where a track is going or how the melody will unfold. There was something strangely thrilling about not being able to predict the course of each track. Each time I thought I had figured out the direction a song was going in, I was almost immediately disproved.

There is no doubt in my mind that Oh No Ono are very adept, skilful and diverse musicians. There are hints of classical music, jazz, electronica, pop and rock throughout the whole album hence creating a highly individual and unique texture of sound. Upon listening to the album for the first time, I did not feel the vocals did the music justice. They felt too erratic and even though I am usually captivated by unconventional vocals, these did little for me. After a few more listens, I retracted my bold conclusion and now I can’t really imagine how else the vocals should be - even if they grate me.

There are several standout tracks on the album. The first of these is ‘Swim’, an obvious choice for a single. The melody here is far more discernible than many of the other tracks with the vocals staying on course and well-suited string sections packed in neatly with piano, castanets and metallophones. ‘Internet Warrior’ is an upbeat track which takes a more electronic approach - think Kraftwerk meets Nintendo’s ‘Super Mario'. ’The Tea Party’ is a psychedelic lullaby that has a very youthful and childlike sound to it. The samples used on the track thicken the song out to make it one of my favourites. ‘Eve’ is a 7 minute long ballad with deep vocals that draw you in slowly but leave a lasting impression. Personally, this is my absolute favourite off the album. The track rises from its slow tempo and culminates into a classical instrumental piece with rumbling percussions. In fact, my only complaint about this particular track is that this marvellous little symphony isn’t long enough.

Overall, the album is an interesting listen. It is quite surreal most of the time, which makes it a real struggle to get into and enjoy. However, if you give it a few tries you will find it does grow on you. It fulfils all the expectations I would have of an experimental album even if it does not satisfy my personal tastes. To echo my opening paragraph: If you are interested in this genre of music, I strongly suggest you have a listen. If not, this album will not do much for you and will probably help strengthen the reasons you dislike experimental music in the first place.