Off With Their Heads is weird. There. I said it. Right off the bat. They are the weirdest band. But the thing that makes them weird is also the thing that makes them great. If you were just to read their lyrics without knowing what type of music they played you'd think that they were a miserable, depressing, mopey shoegaze band but couple their lyrics with the devestatingly simple but well crafted punk rock tunes and they take on a completely different dimension and somehow the lyrics aren't so downbeat. They become almost a celebration of the fucked up world we live in and the mundane crap that we have to live with. I've only seen Off With Their Heads live once, but it wasn't a depressing affair at all, it was riotous and fun (and very, very LOUD) and that speaks volumes for their prowess as a band.
And so onto the record. In Desolation is Off With Their Heads second full length proper, following on from 2008's From The Bottom, and a glut of 7 inches released over their 8 year span as a band. It is also their debut for Epitaph, that onetime punk rock powerhouse label that has latterly been releasing all manner of long fringed rubbish. Hopefully, In Desolation will see the label head back to its roots. Lasting just over half an hour, this album is 12 tracks of almost triumphant self-loathing. Kicking off with the anthemic 'Drive', you get the feeling that this album is a bit special. This song captures Off With Their Heads approach brilliantly. Young takes the listener out with him for a ride as he tries to escape his demons and ultimately himself, telling us he'll give over "everything I have if you got the right words to say," before not-so-reassuringly adding "If I can just get away from my shadow I'm in the clear."
Next up is 'Their Own Medicine' which roars out of the gate, looking to settle old scores and pick at scabs, with Young declaring 'I know it's fucked up but I can't forget all of the shit that happened in the past,' and then inviting the listener to join him as he gives his tormentors 'some of their own medicine.' By the time you reach 'Trying To Breathe', you realise that the formula for each new song isn't going to stray too far from the one for the last. Simple, bold as brass power chords played at speed over a solid rhythm section. Young himself has called OWTH's brand of punk "high school music" but there are no 17 year olds singing like this, at least not convincingly believe me. You can feel the frustration through your speakers when Young blasts "I hate every second of the goddamn day, gimme anything you got, I don't care. It's all the same." 'ZZYZX' is perhaps my favourite song on the record and it's the track that gives the album its title with it's catch refrain of 'for reasons, for reasons,' after which Young reiterates his desire to be completely alone, relecting the strains of the constant touring he undergoes with his band. He even goes so far as to say "I'll find myself or you'll find me dead." These deeply confessional lyrics span the length of the album, and, as I said, are alarmingly frank when read away from the music. They serve to create a great contradiction. How exactly can someone write such upliftingly ctachy punk music but at the same time be so miserable? The mirror is turned on the listener with 'Spare Time', as Young asks:
"How do you spend your spare time,
what do you do to pass the day?
do you focus on the bad times and how you never get your way"
The album closes with two of its strongest songs, 'My Episodes' and 'Clear The Air.' The latter, Young has admitted, is musically inspired by 'Joy' by Against Me! (from the album Searching For A Former Clarity). It is perhaps the most achingly open of all the album's tracks, the sparse arrangement leaving the lyrics bare whereas in other tracks they are surrounded by noise and aggression. 'Clear The Air' sees the band provide an overview for the entire album. It opens almost like a letter, with Young stating "I wanted to tell you, I wanted to share, Some important details that you're unaware of, I want you to listen, I want you to care,I'll choke to death if I don't clear the air." Although the album might seem depressing in its themes Young implores the listener "
Don't leave yet, I haven't got to the part that explains at all. Don't leave yet, I need some body there to catch me before I fall," before bookending the song the same way it began.
In Desolation is a fantastic album by a great band. I know I've made it sound like it should be hard work, but it really isn't. It's strangely uplifting and so catchy you'll need a vaccine to stop listening to it. Please don't take the lyrics out of the context of the music too much because that can detract from the overall feel of the album. This album is a must for fans of Dillinger Four and other 'beard punk' bands. Do yourself a favour and check it out. It's one of those that'll stay with you when you need it most.
Off With Their Heads' Epitaph music player, featuring tracks from In Desolation
The official video for 'Drive' from the album In Desolation
Get In Desolation from Amazon!
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