Live review from Sonic Showcase:
Dull (乏）
Hallucination（幻夢）
Endless Dream（長夢）
Lost in..（遺）
Is It Really You by Loathe (Cover)
“Abusive use of reverb and delay” might be Omnimori’s glib Instagram description, but they thankfully bring more sincerity (and talent) than this in-joke concedes. Yes, there’s all the gear – but also plenty of ideas brewing in this retro-facing alt-rock quartet.
There was a smidge of a windswept 90s MV to the satisfying loud/quiet grunge stomp of “Hallucination（幻夢)”, while “Lost in..（遺)” mined the same post-Pumpkins well of discontent to powerful effect, despite a mechanical middle crescendo that lost momentum midway.
The subtler, shoegaze-y moments engaged equally, and will prove more enduring on record. The suitably titled “Endless Dream（長夢)” rode for days on an irresistible two-chord tide, a churning bed of echo as open and intoxicating as the ocean. Featuring an additional guest vocalist, opener “Dull (乏)” may be more self-effacement, but it offered a strong introduction to lead singer Eddy Mok’s dramatic range and versatile delivery – moving between high, low and spoken passages seconds apart.
Closing with a cover of “Is It Really You?” by mid-sized British metal band Loathe was the only misfire, a song both less engaging than their own material, and noticeably less rehearsed to boot.
– Rob Garratt
