OpCritical – Doing Fine

If you’re paying attention to what’s happening on the contemporary music scene, you probably noticed how many artists and bands deliver some of the greatest songs many genres have seen in recent years. Yet, somehow, the scene has been saturated with the same standards, often promoted by the tastemakers, social media, and social media platforms. Although those music outlets deliver high-quality works to the table, it’s also noticeable how many of them follow the same blueprint for each composition, often delivering the same old, repetitive, predictable, bland music. Thankfully, there are also artists and bands who think outside of the box, breaking the rules and shattering the boundaries in order to deliver a fresh, unique, innovative takes on particular music genres. OpCritical is certainly one of those profoundly creative music outlets whose music goes beyond comprehension. With “Doing Fine,” their latest standalone single released on May 15th, the band breaks the rules of several different yet complementary music genres at once. Grunge and punk rock are certainly dominant in this sonic equation, as these folks incorporated all the fundamental elements of the genre in each segment, but do not be surprised if you stumble upon some of the finest properties borrowed from alternative, garage rock, etc. They use all those additional sonic ingredients as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details to uplift this composition to new heights while simultaneously remaining loyal to the primary sonic direction. And while this composition carries all the qualities that meet trends in contemporary music production, beneath that modern sound, you’ll notice a subtle touch of nostalgia, lurking around and giving more depth, detail, and a nineties rock vibe. Therefore, these experimentations with many different yet complementary styles, various approaches, techniques, and directions resulted in a catchy, memorable, engaging, meaningful song that will not only appeal to the longtime fans of these genres but also to anyone who appreciates cleverly assembled and flawlessly performed music.

Lyrically, “Doing Fine” is an irreverent commentary on societal conformity. The band tackles various sentiments, moods, situations, and circumstances, explaining how the institutional pressure negatively affects individuals, forcing them to conform and become part of a manipulated mass. Sonically, this composition arrives with a perfect structure, decorated with clever arrangements, profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and marvelous orchestrations.  The first thing you’ll stumble upon is a marvelous vocal performance. The vocal performance acts as a centerpiece of this sonic equation, elevating everything to new heights, commanding attention, and guiding the listener on an epic sonic journey through the expansive sonic universe. The combination of clean, polished, high pitched chants and raspy, tastefully distorted shouts seamlessly balances low, mid, and high notes, emphasizing everything the remainder of the band intended to achieve with such precision and finesse. The intensity, power, and aggression in the vocal performance solely depend on the particular moment or mood of the song, but each side of this vocal range sounds impressive. Besides decorating all the segments and instrumentation, you’ll notice how the vocals also contribute more than necessary emotional depth and complexity over an already intricate song structure. In the meantime, the thoughtfully assembled guitar works shape a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. You’ll hear how all those catchy, memorable, and engaging chord progressions and riffs resonate throughout the entire composition. The combination of jangly, angular guitars on one side and tastefully distorted on the other creates such a unique sound. It’s nearly mindblowing how all those layers articulate together, making this composition such a memorable piece. This album wouldn’t sound complete without the equally impressive rhythm section. You’ll hear how the intricate, warm-sounding basslines rumble beneath lush guitar works, offering more than necessary heaviness, clarity, and depth while simultaneously acting as a binding element between the mentioned instrumentation and rhyhtmic patterns. The rich, deep, dense, heavy low end notes provide more groove, detail, and power without overwhelming other orchestrations, yet they’re vividly hearable in the mix. This instrument plays a significant role in this sonic equation, offering warmth that acts as a counterbalance to raw, aggressive, gritty guitar works. The exceptional drumming performance, based upon cleverly arranged, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics, keeps the other instruments in line while dictating groove and pace. Each hit of the snare, kick of the bass drum, accentuation over the hi-hat, and splashes over cymbals play a significant role here, offering groove, power, dynamics, and detail.

If you are looking for a grunge-infused punk rock song, packed with all the rawness, abrasiveness, aggression, groove, and distortion, look no further, because OpCritical has crafted a masterpiece that will become a staple of your playlist. It’s packed with catchy, memorable riffs, excellent vocal harmonies, groovy beats, and meaningful lyrics that perfectly describe the flaws of modern society. Do not miss this gem!