by Kris Handel (@khandel84)
Ordinary Reaper is the new project from Chicago musician Ben Grigg and No Plans is their debut EP, three impressively nuanced tracks. Grigg is joined by Peter Reale (Yeesh) and Emily Bernstein (FCKR JR) to create a varied yet cohesive recording that ranges from jangly to explosive punk outbursts. These veterans of the Chicago music scene have been around a while in various projects yet have managed to come together and create an EP that treads some new ground for those involved and carries a spirit that bursts at the seams.
“Breadline” kicks off the album with an echoey jangle that is vaguely reminiscent of Reckoning-era REM, but one that is powered up by fifteen notches with interludes of punky distortion and yelped vocals that criticize the greed of corporations and politicians that feed off those with lesser means. Grigg’s guitar alternates stormy and wavering explosions with psych chiming in while Bernstein’s bass pops and slides nimbly around the vocal melodies creating two environments that coalesce gloriously. “Bite My Lip” shows off the volatility that is possessed by these musicians as the early portions of the song finds a languid groove powered by Bernstein’s bass, occasionally punctured by wild squalls of guitar before going full steam into powerful garage pop. Here Ordinary Reaper show off their melodic fury in an inspired and majestic soundscape that is enthralling while also never foregoing the constant melody that adds a bit of comfort.
Though this recording is brief, it is incredibly powerful and these musicians gel seamlessly with each other. There is a glow that warms these three songs. There is a sparsity in lyrics here allowing for the instrumentation to flow freely and create worlds of their own that bob and weave effortlessly. There is an intensity here in performance and songwriting that is hard to escape and there is no slowing down or even remote signs of stagnancy in anything at hand. No Plans is a brief and explosive burst of both impressive songcraft, unrelenting attitude, and power that is refreshing and needed in trying times.