Words: Otis Hayes | Photo: Berhnard Deckert
Opus Kink bridge a gap between the dark underbelly of punk rock and the rich and raucous sounds derived from jazz on their genre-spanning debut EP ’Til The Stream Runs Dry’, released via Nice Swan Records. The sextet’s collection of seven tracks will keep your ears finely attuned and your attention firmly grasped as potent brass sections meet barbed guitar lines, rhythmic drums and driving bass grooves – vocals snarling their way through to the forefront of the chaos.
’Til The Stream Runs Dry’ begins with a short instrumental introduction entitled ‘Into The Stream’ which acts as the calm before the storm, from then on you either sink or swim as you’re dropped head first into the deep end of the group’s debut EP. Lead single ‘I Love You Baby’ brims with energy as guitar and bass collide with a calculated urgency, trumpet and saxophone interweave through low bellows and high shrills, vocals are served with a natural scratchiness and gristle, saluting Joe Strummer.
Opus Kink manage to keep the listener guessing throughout, continually evolving, going off on unexpected tangents and defying genre expectations – ‘Dog Stay Down’ provides a stand out moment and ‘St. Paul of the Tarantulas’ shines bright. ‘(I’m Going Down To That) Hole In The ground’ finds vocalist and guitarist Angus Rogers delivering spoken word verses backed by a shredding brass section adding a beautiful noir shade to the EP, the band end in a tumultuous whirlwind of cinematic sound.
The EP closes with the anthemic ‘Unrepentant Soldier’ and title track ’Til The Stream Runs Dry’, the latter sits at six minutes in length, showcasing the band’s ability to build explosive layers of sound through detailed arrangements and unusual formulas. What Opus Kink have up their sleeves next is anyone’s guess.
Live Dates
16/07 – Into The Wild Festival
22/07 – Latitude Festival
23/07 – Leopallooza Festival
30/07 – Farm Fest
31/07 – Kendal Calling
04/08 – Wilderness
20/08 – Beautiful Days
11/09 – Misty Fields, Netherlands
28/09 – Oslo, London
29/09 – Record Junkee, Sheffield
30/09 – YES (pink room), Manchester
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