Oh No Ono – Eggs

Denmark

"Eggs"

23 February 2010, 10:00 | Written by Ian Greenhill

(Albums)

(Denmark)

Some bands wear their influences on their sleeves, you can probably tell from their name who Danish band Oh No Ono admire, and their self-produced third album Eggs is an album brimming with songs demonstrating a contemporary take on Beatles psychedlia.Opener ‘Eleanor Speaks’ (probably a different Eleanor from the Rigby variety) combines sitar and synth and a varying array of other instruments to create a dense wall of melodic sound, veering off skyward with epic qualities no dissimilar to Animal Collective. However, what distinguishes Oh No Ono from other sitar plucking, sock abandoning, Peyote loving, psychedelic bands is their distinctive vocals. Malthe Fischer takes lead on most of the tracks, with his shrill, high pitched register being the most important instrument in Oh No Ono’s dense, expansive collection of instrumentation. The inclusion of Aske Zidore as lead vocals in ‘Eve’ and ‘Icicles’ helps to balance out Fischer’s shrillness with a rich baritone, which gives the album some sort of balance.I’m not sure if it is enough, though. Eggs reminds me of a mushroom trip I once had in the middle of Dam Square; at first it took me a while to get used to it, then I actually really enjoyed it, then it all got too much and I started to cry while lying in the foetal position. That's the problem with Eggs; it's too ambitious for it’s own good. The denseness leaves it very little breathing room, making it an exhausting listen. However, ‘Helplessly Young’ is a stand out moment, charging along with thumping drums and a soaring chorus; demonstrating what the band are actually capable of, it also helps to steer ‘Eggs’ away from grandiose experimentation and produces a perfect stop gap for the album. Oh No Ono are still one of the best psychedelic bands around, and Eggs is an impressive effort. It just needs to be taken in small doses.