Overmono – ‘Good Lies’ evaluate: transcendent, head-rushing dance anthems

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Music

Beginning out a decade in the past beneath the separate DJ monikers of Tessela and Truss, Welsh brothers Tom and Ed Russell made techno and dubstep respectively, changing into two revered figures of the UK dance underground. It was solely when the pair fashioned Overmono within the mid-2010s, although, {that a} sure alchemy was uncovered, mixing their underground beginnings with pop sounds aiming in the direction of extra widespread audiences.

Since then, their sound has been streamlined and beefed up over a sequence of EPs and mixes. In 2021, the monitor ‘So U Kno’ – a deliciously catchy hammerblow of chopped vocals and metallic beats – might be heard blaring out of competition tents and at raves up and down the nation, changing into one of the crucial omnipresent tracks of the post-lockdown summer season.

On their debut album ‘Good Lies’, the pair retain all of the hallmarks of the mission to date, whereas unashamedly dialling up the ambition; the hooks listed here are sweeter, the beats tougher. Single ‘Stroll Through Water’ is a glowing track constructed round a trap-inspired beat and assisted by St Panther, whereas ‘Arla Fearn’ is a fantastically darkish behemoth.

The best comparability for the duo – and with good cause – is Burial, whose icy textures and sharp snare hits are throughout ‘Good Lies’. Whereas William Bevan’s mission is pleased to remain within the shadows although, Overmono routinely break by way of them in the direction of pop transcendence. Closing monitor ‘Calling Out’ samples Slowthai and and CASISDEAD over thudding two-step, whereas ‘Is U’ contrasts its razor-sharp percussion with a sugary vocal pattern and melodic synths.

This boundary-pushing ethic has additionally been proven in a latest slate of remixes, the place they’ve turned Irish songwriter For These I Love’s heavy, grief-ridden masterpiece ‘I Have A Love’ right into a joyous techno romp, and most lately introduced Ed Sheeran’s ‘Eyes Closed’ into their glitchy orbit. They’re quick changing into the go-to duo for pairing dance and radio pop.

Whereas most of ‘Good Lies’ balances sweetness within the melodic vocal samples with harsher percussion, title monitor is deliciously heat all through. On it, they take a pattern from the lo-fi ‘No Hurt’ by XL-signed pop duo Smerz and expertly flip it right into a brilliantly catchy hook. It’s not a stretch in any respect to think about it bursting out of competition foremost stage audio system at evening.

Overmono have described their debut album as “a letter of affection to the journey to date [that also] marks the place we need to take issues,” and ‘Good Lies’ places the pair on the sting of a significant breakthrough. Its pop-leaning moments are additionally its most fun, and the creativity and ability with which they bridge these worlds is thrilling.