Somewhere City: A Place To Be

Origami Angel is a band characterized by a maximalist approach toward songwriting while simultaneously keeping up with short song durations and punk sensibilities. Ryland Heavy and Pat Doherty are able to effectively cram explosive energy into this project for a variety of reasons. The band’s plethora of nostalgia is appealing to anyone who grew up in Y2K, via Danny Phantom, Pokemon, or McDonald’s references and a yearning desire to relive the past. But what is fascinating is that the band is creating new musical content that future generations may want to look back upon in the same way that they view their childhood.

Somewhere City is an album that was released in November of 2019, thematically representing self growth and the lengthy process that this entails. I personally discovered this album around finals week, at a peak point of stress in my life. It seemed fitting that the thematic chaos of the music (blast beats, frantic guitars, and vulnerable vocals) is paired with this positive existentialist philosophy toward life. This is a sentiment that a lot of artists are buying into, and in the age of coronavirus, I think it is quite fitting.

The band’s sound lands somewhere in the middle of metal-core, jazz, and math rock, with more punk sensibilities and leanings. I notoriously am known for my love of Dance Gavin Dance and other bands in the general punk scene that push boundaries and break outside of the box to create something that is refreshing in a rather saturated market. Origami Angel is clearly an act that knows how to push the boundaries. Blast beats, beautifully crafted guitar work, and the color scheme of the album art work, the record provides a sense of clarity in a chaotic world.

If you are looking for an album to lift up your spirits during this immensely complicated and challenging time, then you might want to go to Somewhere City.