Chicago duo OK Cool have released their debut album, Chit Chat.
Made up of musicians Bridget Stiebris and Haley Blomquist Waller, the album is a nod to their fiercely DIY spirit as one of the most exciting bands in their local scene.
Having released three EPs already, Chit Chat is the band’s first full-length release—with a deliberate nod to creating songs that clock in at longer than two minutes.
On this decision, Stiebris says: “It was an intentional part of the writing process for the album. I’m into the idea of telling a story, communicating an idea, but not taking up more time than I absolutely need to—this often results in pretty short songs. With Chit Chat, I tried to feel more comfortable taking up that space.”
The effort definitely comes through and is more than worth it on the album.
Even with the attempt at longer songs, Chit Chat wastes no time opening up with its extremely short, rhythmic headbanger of an opener. “Intro” layers more elements as the song progresses, reaching a fever pitch of noise that fades right into the album’s lead single, “Waawooweewaa.”
Released earlier this year, “Waawooweewaa” is a straightforward rock song that serves as a perfect distillation of the rest of the album to come. With loud, crashing drums and angry, almost screaming vocals, “Waawooweewaa” paints a picture of rage and feeling trapped, even as the vocals turn quiet to sing into the fishbowl/and the eyes of the public/we stall at gunpoint/I swallow the bullet.
The repeated mantra—"I’m sorry / it’s my own fault"—echoes toward the end of the song, fading into the amplifier’s hum like a final exhale. It leaves behind a heavy sense of being completely spent—done with yourself, and done with everyone else’s emotions too.
In contrast, “Safety Car” sees the duo return to their math rock roots with finger-picked guitars and syncopated drums, before some dreamy synths announce their presence. Leaving more room for the instrumentation than the first two tracks, the vocals on “Safety” care sound like they’ve been run through a shaky PA system.
“Splitting” crashes to life without much warning—cymbals slam in four bars deep, punctuating the drums’ frenetic two-beat pulse. The vocals drone with heavy echo, hazy and almost unintelligible—like a splitting headache, fittingly. The chorus cries, “splitting / my brain,” breaking free from the (literal) echo chamber before being swallowed again, cut through by a jangly, pitch-bending guitar bridge.
“Jeans (I Get It Now)” counts itself in, all jangly guitars and nods to surf-rock rhythms. The vocals on “Jeans” are far more discernible than many other tracks, featuring a looping chorus of "if it’s all the same to you/I get it now/and if it’s all the same to you/I get it now" of particular note. This chorus then abruptly lets go of the more relaxed rhythm for a more complex math rock breakdown about halfway through, making this track very much a sum of two halves.
Because Chit Chat is an album with a lot of ideas, halfway through we find “Loop,” which feels like a very different beast. Opening up with gentle piano and acoustic guitar, it takes a few moments to side-step the energy of the rest of the album, a gentle meandering and sweet song that has the energy of a long summer slipping away into something more cold.
Notable track “Sledding” opens with half-yelled vocals and energetic guitars, while “Ruined” kicks off with shouts of “Oh no! I’m ruined!”—a moment that feels faintly shocking against the otherwise upbeat, sunny tone of the album.
However, the lyrics claim a sense of being ruined/for the right reason, so things can’t be all bad for the band.
Rounding out the album are the ninth and tenth tracks, “Fading Out Forever” and the aptly named “Last.”
“Fading Out Forever” features scratchy, high-pitched guitars that almost sound like a synth with how short and sharp they are. Final track “Last” feels more melancholic than a lot of the other tracks on the album, with its contrasting guitars and almost faded-out vocals fighting for dominance within the song.
Overall, Chit Chat is a great album from a band with an extremely solid, consistent sound, promising more—and hopefully longer—tracks to come.
