Ohana - Weak Wrists (Album)
In anticipation of my first Dwarf review I ripped open the envelope impatiently and plundered straight into the CD sleeve, which was as it happened, was an insight to the frenetic content that waited my ears, and I popped the disc right into the player. While the CD spun up I ran my eyes over the official blurb and this is what the first statement was “Ohana create bipolar music” Total understatement.
Track one 'Focault you diabolical genius' blasts you right from the opening note from hardcore throat wrenching screams to underlying melodies and all stations in between. Ohana have many and eclectic influences that can be heard throughout the CD, such as the jazz influences of 'Auter takes all' and mellow almost chilled out aspects of 'les enfants de marx et de coca-cola' and back to post punk rips with delicate guitar throughout title track 'Weak Wrists'.
Initially I wasn’t enthralled by this release. I tagged it “Mars Volta on speed” but as I let it play a few times through my iPod and I began to appreciate how intricate the concoction of this group of songs is. The way this album has been recorded is a testament to the musicianship of Flyn, Kino, Will and Rob. Each of the lads certainly takes their craft to the extremes and back.
The debut album Weak Wrists from this Wollongong four piece, recorded with a live mentality certainly shows that these lads sure know how to take hardcore extremes and intertwine it with intricate uncontrolled rhapsody. Each track, every instrument has been laid down in a complete take and the final result certainly comes over as you were there taking in this almost experimental on the fly process.
Ohana have a reputation for being a hard working uber-gigging band and I certainly have taken away the feeling from the release that this album would be the kind of set that would be more potent being taken in live than as a recorded event. This is no slight on the band as Weak Wrists is an awesome release and I recommend anyone who enjoys experimental bands with a hardcore edge to give it a spin.
