OK Cool’s “Songs From The Spare Room” are definitely cool!

Chicago-based emo duo OK Cool released Songs From The Spare Room today (February 4th). The two songs (Time And A Half and Self-Sow) make for their first release following their 2021 sophomore EP Surrealist.

While some songs from their previous EP Surrealist lent themselves to more indie, or dreampop vibes, OK cool’s newest releases seem to be moving closer to emo or mathrock. The bright tones in the song are still reminiscent of indie/pop music, but the riffs and drums have a much more alternative vibe. This combination makes for a really fun and upbeat listen.

It’s also clear from lyrics like “and it's alright / one day i won't want to fight / i'll pick the flowers in my head that'll never bloom / and i won't wonder how you've been” (self-sow) that OK Cool is influenced heavily by other emo/rock heavy hitters like Retirement Party and Illuminati Hotties. The gloomy lyrics painted with such cheery vocal effects makes for something that’s both relatable, and fun to listen to.

The band released the first song of the two Time And A Half in advance of the duo release on January 21, along with a really funky music video you can watch HERE. The video utilizes both straight video and a stop-motion style of editing that when combined make for a really interesting watch. The music video does an excellent job of being just as cool and colorful as OK Cool sounds.

Really the easiest way to describe this release is that after it was sent to us, we fell down a rabbit hole and listened to everything else OK Cool had put out so far. They’re just the kind of band that once you hear once, you MUST hear more of, and after listening to Time And A Half and Self-Sow, we will be excitedly awaiting what we hear next from the band.

LISTEN HERE