There are plenty of moments on Montreal post-punk quartet
Ought
's debut album,
More Than Any Other Day
, that betray their immediate influences. The jittery beats and breathless vocals of standout track "The Weather Song" have the same fresh-faced optimism of
the Feelies
or
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
doing their best
David Byrne
impressions. Tunes like "Forgiveness" highlight drummer/violinist
Tim Keen
's droning violin textures and recall the rolling narratives of
Lungfish
or softer moments from experimental anarcho-punk acts like
the Ex
and
Dog Faced Hermans
. Elsewhere on the album, nods are made to mid-'90s literary emo groups like
Cap'n Jazz
the Van Pelt
, and the slithering vocals and motorik churn of "Around Again" call to mind an impossible jam session between
Clinic
the Chills
with
Tom Verlaine
on lead guitar. That's an incredible amount of reference points for one album, and if the songs were delivered without the level of conviction and combustible energy that the band puts forth, they might come off as simple derivative treacle. Instead of being a map of influences, however,
captures the same kind of energy as all of
's incredibly strong influences and funnels them into a collection of songs that effortlessly volleys from spiky political punk to lighthearted dancey pop that feels like the first day of spring. The frenetic energy of standout songs like "Habit" manages to do both, with vocalist
Tim Beeler
half-speaking, half-singing the lyrics with all the fervor of someone who's just figured everything out and wants to share his enlightenment with the world. On the whole,
is a deeply refreshing listen, bursting at the seams with joy and anger and less indebted to its long list of influences than it is an entity greater than the sum of its parts. ~ Fred Thomas