Review
Off Contact
Pearls Before Swine

Independent (2023) Christopher D

Off Contact – Pearls Before Swine cover artwork
Off Contact – Pearls Before Swine — Independent, 2023

Pearls Before Swine= offering something of value to someone who does not understand its value or appreciate it

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. These two statements could best describe the debut release of Off Contact.

To truly understand this release, it would take countless spins around the world of 33 ⅓ rotations. Easy comparisons are elements of earlier Wire combined with Fugazi’s repeater dissonance and waves of curated tension a la My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youths combined alternate tunings and textured orchestrations weaving the listener through passages, and doorways while guiding you down the hall past your mother's room where she is being massaged by the pool boy.

Call it Shoegaze, Post Punk, Art Rock and all would be relevant but what Off Contact does well is blend all these influences and labelled sounds into a big pre-roll for you to puff on and enter the world of dreamscapes, fluffy angels floating on clouds, with flashing lights sending electric pulses in Grand Mal fashion, keeping in check that Hell has better parties.

Hailing from South Dakota one would not normally associate with postpunk. Still, given the beautiful picturesque landscape, it would be easy to draw parallels to the musical output churned out by these unassuming faceless characters.

Ethereal music for the musically uneducated ready to explore music with meaning and depth.

The world should look forward to future output as they Paint like Pollock into grooved vinyl magic meanderings.

Off Contact – Pearls Before Swine cover artwork
Off Contact – Pearls Before Swine — Independent, 2023

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