CHIME OBLIVION - “CHIME OBLIVION” REVIEW
Written by Beau Croxton
John Dwyer’s gang of veterans and close peers whip up a fantastic racket of weirdo-punk on their debut, Chime Oblivion.
It is widely known that John Dwyer is a prolific superhuman. He clocks a staggering 28 albums with his main project, Osees, and 4 albums with his side project Damaged Bug. That is not even including live albums, EPs and his improv off-the-cuff releases with Bent Arcana, among other projects. To one-up himself again, (surprise!) he has assembled Chime Oblivion, which is a bit of a punky, no-wave supergroup. It all started when David Barbarossa (Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow) met John Dwyer backstage in London at an Osees show. They later decided to start work together on what became the debut LP Chime Oblivion. Once Dwyer and Barbarossa recorded the bass and drums outline of these tunes, Dwyer recruited everyone else that he thought would be perfect to finish the job. He recruited H.L. Nelly on vocals (Naked Lights, FKA Smiley) and Weasel Walter on guitar (Flying Luttenbachers, Lydia Lynch’s Retrovirus) along with his close peers Tom Dolas on marimba (Osees, Mr. Elevator) and Brad Caulkins on sax (Bent Arcana, Witch Egg). One listen to Chime Oblivion and you can see exactly why Dwyer was such a clever orchestrator of these folks; the weirdo-punk vibe is a clear bullseye upon arrival. Chime Oblivion is a highly creative endeavour that produces a mix of good tunes and some sporadic flashes of genius.
The snotty lead single “Neighborhood Dog” starts the record and it’s many shades of brilliant. The track comes stomping in with a very oi-oi attitude. Singer H.L. Nelly is excellent and commanding with her vocals and she delivers a vocal style similar to The Slits with shades of Bush Tetras, Lene Lovich and X-Ray Spex. Nelly’s awesome performance paints a vivid picture of the vibe that Dwyer and Barbarossa were going for with Chime Oblivion.
“Kiss Her Or Be Her” is a solid track where Nelly wrestles with the confusing existential question of “Do I wanna kiss her or be her?”. This is also the exact same question that Sam Rockwell’s character in Season 3 of White Lotus was struggling with... have we just discovered his theme song? “The Fiend” pops in with a dramatic build that lands on a thumping, punky beat. The track features fantastic marimba harmonies and some great primal vocal breaks by both Nelly and Dwyer. It is short and sweet, but it's an awesome moment while it lasts.
“Heated Horses” gets wacky with funky cowbells, wonky bass and exclamatory vocals. This track leans the most into the zany and atonal nature found in no-wave, and probably won’t score many points with casual listeners, but it might be a hit for a select few. “Uninvited Guest” provides a classic progression with melodic backing vocals that smooth things out after the dissonant wackiness of "Heated Horses.” The basis of this track kind of feels adjacent to early Osees, even if unintentional. Around 2 minutes in, Weasel Walter switches up the guitar to a shimmering part that really sings; it lifts the track into a triumphant vibe.
CHIME OBLIVION artwork by Callum Rooney and John Dwyer with layout by Jay Beckey. Out now on Deathgod records
“And Again” is lightning-in-a-bottle and is delivered with an infectious childlike enthusiasm. It is unique, playful and a major highlight. This track features fantastic tribal-style drumming by Barbarossa where he is flying all over the kit. The song is a shining example of the experimental nature of the record finding its magic, with Barbarossa’s signature drumming style being heavily amplified. The “Again, and Again" vocal refrain recalls a similar mantra in the outro of “Neo Clone” from the SORCS 80 album by Dwyer’s Osees…I wonder if he’s in this band? “Smoke Ring” is another experiment gone great, where Barbarossa’s Bow Wow Wow-style beats run rampant yet again. The group matches his beats in a more aggressive fashion, underlining the punk element of the record. Some arrangements carry this awesome “prog-circus from hell” vibe that you could totally find on a Black Midi record like Hellfire; it is bizarre and thrilling.
“I’m Not a Mirror” is a clear standout that features some killer melodic synths and riffs that feel like classic early Osees instrumentals. After all, Dwyer is credited on the album with synths, backing vocals and bass. “Grass” is a very frantic tune that has some climbing marimba arrangements paired with complicated basslines. By this point of the record, the group really finds their groove instrumentally. “Cold Pulse” is highlighted by huge fuzzy bass, rhythmic blasts, and awesome sax as Nelly proclaims “My pulse is cold like melting snow”. Perhaps a tune that could have been longer than 1.5 minutes, but alas- punk rock, ya know?
“The Catalogue” is a great closer with a bit of a half-and-half concept where you find slower dub segments between some fast, frantic beats. There are great harmonized saxophones and trippy vocal delays to bring the song out on a dubby close. Ultimately, a half-time dub outro is a great way to bring a wild locomotive of frantic, punky no-wave to a final halt.
Chime Oblivion is quite an awesome and tight project from Dwyer and company with some notable standouts. This record is also a decent contender for one of Dwyer’s most enjoyable non-Osees projects. For a record that was recorded with bass and drums first, with overdubs later, it sounds wildly alive. It is very hard to imagine any of the band members overdubbing parts on this record and not all playing live in the same room. On rare occasions, some experiments on Chime Oblivion don't always pan out as successfully as the majority, but when the record romps too far off the rails, it is quickly followed by a string of consistent tunes. The highlights on this album really do hold their own with some of the best general punk tunes out there right now. One could only hope this is not the last we hear from Chime Oblivion and there are some opportunities to see this band live, because this debut is brimming with life and promise. Chime Oblivion is a fun, beautifully frantic and occasionally brilliant blast that's all over in less than 30 minutes; it is a marvelous frenzy that will certainly have you singing “Again! And Again!”.
Occult Highlights: Neighborhood Dog, I’m Not a Mirror, And Again, Smoke Ring, Uninvited Guest, The Fiend
(...but we recommend you listen in full while you slam dance your way to the circus)