The Thousands

I’m not elevating Melbourne three-piece Otouto to Miles Davis’ status; but Otouto understand something a lot of rock bands don’t. Space.

Jamming unprecedented levels of stimuli into a three-minute pop song has merits (as in, double bass-drum head banging away full throttle aggressive testosterone rush release). Yet there’s something to be said for subtlety; situating tension between the notes played; strange shifts in tempo, odd drops in the flow, yo; the unexpected.

On their debut, Otouto take unassuming, stripped-bare lo-fi pop songs and add some no wave and world beat weirdness, stretching and warping indelightful ways.

There are moments that border on weird-for-weird’s sake; but these are few, and easily overlooked by the interest herein. My favorite moments recall the pretty introspection and dead space of The Breeders’ seriously underrated Title TK; The Slits, or the amazing tension, restraint, and hushed intimacy of The XX.

Space is the place. Great to see a new band who knows this inside and out.