March 27, 2021
Written by Amara Sorosiak
OK COOL GET PSYCHEDELIC WITH THEIR DEBUT EP "SURREALIST"
Chicago-based Ok Cool released their debut EP “Surrealist,” following up their 2020 singles. The power-pop band, with acute indie and alt-rock influences, reflects on being queer, especially queer women, in a heteronormative environment.
They first proved themselves with “Surrealist'' on the EP’s lead single, succinctly titled “Five Finger Exploding Heart Technique,” which was released on February 19th. The upbeat guitars juxtapose the melancholy vocals, making for a wonderful contrast between sound and intent. The song opens with a man offering the lead vocalist a ride as she’s walking alone. Thankfully, she refuses, but he then tries to insult her, leading to the sardonic line: “Said I'm no proper lady / Said I'm gonna burn up when I die / Well I'll try.” While brief, this can be a liberating line to sing along to, especially for anyone who has endured public cat-calling and/or homophobic ridicule. It sets the tone for the rest of “Surrealist,” which denotes these explicit acts of prejudice under the same lens as rainbow capitalism, or corporations marketing towards, and profiting off of, LGBTQ+ individuals, especially during pride month. According to the band, the EP is about “The idea that I should accept the ‘kindness’ they are offering me. But that’s not gonna happen -- walking is hard but I would always rather walk than accept help from someone that actually doesn’t give a shit.”
They first proved themselves with “Surrealist'' on the EP’s lead single, succinctly titled “Five Finger Exploding Heart Technique,” which was released on February 19th. The upbeat guitars juxtapose the melancholy vocals, making for a wonderful contrast between sound and intent. The song opens with a man offering the lead vocalist a ride as she’s walking alone. Thankfully, she refuses, but he then tries to insult her, leading to the sardonic line: “Said I'm no proper lady / Said I'm gonna burn up when I die / Well I'll try.” While brief, this can be a liberating line to sing along to, especially for anyone who has endured public cat-calling and/or homophobic ridicule. It sets the tone for the rest of “Surrealist,” which denotes these explicit acts of prejudice under the same lens as rainbow capitalism, or corporations marketing towards, and profiting off of, LGBTQ+ individuals, especially during pride month. According to the band, the EP is about “The idea that I should accept the ‘kindness’ they are offering me. But that’s not gonna happen -- walking is hard but I would always rather walk than accept help from someone that actually doesn’t give a shit.”
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“I Should Buy A Sword,” complete with defined guitar work and cat meows, is our gateway into “Surrealist.” While only clocking in at a little over a minute long, it reveals the EP’s primary motivation -- “going out,” so to speak, and stripping oneself of all their positive facades: “I’ve been putting this off for too long / I tore down all my decorations.” The song closes by repeating “And I have to face it,” “it” meaning their worries.
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Now here’s where “Surrealist” gets its name: “Hertz 2B.” The song erupts into echoing, psychedelic-type vocals that transports listeners to a dream-like state. The lyrical content reflects the EP’s namesake as well. Surrealism sees artistic merit in the unconscious mind, and many associate the surreal with a separation between mind and body, or from the confines of reality, which “Hertz 2B” highlights in the line “Why do I feel so disconnected?”
“Hypervigilant” starts off with a clean, steady drum beat before transitioning into more psychedelic vocals and nineties-tinged guitars. The sound OK Cool has accomplished on their new EP is a clever blend of two prominent rock eras, yet at the same time feels entirely new.
“Hypervigilant” starts off with a clean, steady drum beat before transitioning into more psychedelic vocals and nineties-tinged guitars. The sound OK Cool has accomplished on their new EP is a clever blend of two prominent rock eras, yet at the same time feels entirely new.
Opening with a riff that rings the same bells as “Come As You Are” by Nirvana before the hoppy drums kick in, “Divers” is the pessimistic closer to “Surrealist.” Through a swimming motif, the narrator longs for a better relationship with someone, despite it falling through, and knowing that pursuing the relationship would be self-sabotage: “Thought it won’t end up working out / I tread in the water for a minute / Hoping that I won’t drown.” Though it would have been the obvious move to end the EP on a more positive note, it surely does not have to. In fact, the closer not being so resolute makes more sense. Mental health, self-help, and learning to cope with external hardships, is an uphill battle, and not always a linear process. There will be those moments where one goes “When did my life become so directionless?”, or asks themself any of the other questions presented on “Surrealist.” Where the process takes someone is uncertain, and that uncertainty can be overbearing.
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One thing’s for sure, though, OK Cool are making some waves in alt-rock, indie, and power-pop. The blend between nineties grunge, alt-rock, and even sixties psychedelic-rock, makes for a unique sonic blend for the 2020’s. “Surrealist” possesses a thoughtful relationship between musicality and lyrical content, making for a very mature EP from such a young band. Any track from this EP would make a great addition to your Spring and Summer playlists, and OK Cool a great, permanent addition to your music radar.
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