by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Whether you know it or not, Chicago's Seth Engel is a national treasure. He's a beacon for creative energy and his artistic drive has expanded far behind his local scene with an impressive resume as producer/engineer (Fond Han, Date Stuff, C.H.E.W.), drummer (Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Lifted Bells, Great Deceivers), and guitarist (Anthony Fremont's Garden Solutions, Coaster). It's great to stay busy, but at the real heart of Engel's many incredible bands is Options, a solo project that offers a sense of unpredictability and a chance for his songwriting to really shine... and shine it does. Set to release Vivid Trace on September 14th via Sooper Records, the sophomore effect is a treasure-trove of fuzzy art-pop, post-hardcore, and tangled lo-fi punk that is as thoughtful as it is explosive.
"Fog" is the upcoming record's second single, a tightly wound song that stutters brilliantly off course and back again, jerking around with a fluidity reminiscent of Pinback on a power-pop bender. It's a quick song with enough ideas for a song twice it's length, subtly detached but easily accessible, with phrases and textures taking up only their necessary space before fading into the surrealist pop ether. It's a wild ride but relatively free of aggression, twisting itself gently into a knot of casual outbursts and an ever escalating progression with a feeling of ease.
Tour Dates:
08/31 - New Brunswick, NJ @ In The West ^
09/01 - Philadelphia, PA ^
09/02 - Washington, DC @ Dew Drop Inn ^
09/03 - Richmond, VA ^
09/04 - Raleigh, NC @ The Bunker ^
09/05 - Asheville, NC @ Static Age ^
09/06 - Atlanta, GA ^
09/07 - Chatanooga, TN @ Mercy Junction ^
09/08 - Nashville, TN ^
09/09 - Louisville, KY ^
09/10 - Cincinnati, OH ^
09/11 - St Louis, MO @ CBGB ^
09/12 - Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge ^
09/13 - Rock Island, IL @ Rozz Tox ^
09/14 - Chicago, IL @ The Hideout ^
10/01 - Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx *
10/02 - Toronto, ON @ Baby G *
10/03 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB *
10/04 - Burlington, VT @ ArtsRiot *
10/05 - Portsmouth, NH @ Book and Bar *
10/06 - Boston, MA @ Lilypad *
10/07 - New York, NY @ Baby's All Right *
10/09 - Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA *
10/10 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd *
10/11 - Norfolk, VA @ TOAST *
10/12 - Raleigh, NC @ Kings *
* w/ Nnamdi Ogbonnaya
^ w/ Fond Han
Options' Vivid Trace is out September 14th via Sooper Records.