ON – ON

By RingMaster Review on September 23, 2022 • ( 0 )

We have always tried not to be too greedy and in turn happily share the goodness when it comes along. There are times when greed and sharing does go hand in hand though; welcome to the self-titled album from Toronto trio ON.

A contagion kilned slab of grunge and punk rock which plenty more besides in its recipe, the album was like an itch which only intensified the more we scratched. With every listen we found ourselves drawn deeper into its mix of new invention and nostalgic hues, every play inciting another and another and….

Consisting of vocalist/bassist Lucy Di Santo, guitarist Steve Fall and drummer Dan Cornelius, experience as part of Toronto bands ACID TEST, DANKO JONES and DELIUSS in their combined histories, ON brew their sound in that previously mentioned fusion but equally draw on hues of flavours such as post-punk, old-school funk, indie rock, and 90s college rock for its spirited incitement. Familiarity and freshness unite in its veins with bold almost mischievous enterprise fuelling its roar and imagination; it all making for an encounter which continues to hungrily nag our keenest attention.

Exploring themes of hope, love, angst and dreams, the release immediately provoked thick curiosity with the opening strains of Underdog, the calm lures of Di Santo’s tones and Fall’s guitar equally potent in tension and intrigue. Similarly, the song’s snarl is open in its initial appetite and soon driving the song’s lively stroll and web of hooks and infectious tensioned wires. With a rhythmic manipulation as rich in persuasion, the track soon had the body swinging and vocal chords eagerly participating.

It is a devilishly rousing start to the record, yet still finds itself slightly eclipsed by the glorious Break You. Do note that the promo sent our way had the two tracks in this order though it seems subsequently they have been reversed going by their Bandcamp track listing. Anyway, from its opening espionage toned hook and flying beats, the track had ears and body as its puppet only gripping tighter as its weave of classic and alt rock coated grunge took hold. Threat and dilemma soak every direct thrust and flirtatious calm within the track’s eventful landscape, their creative and our physical muscles lustily in tandem.

Gator swaggers in next to up the ante again, it too casting rapacious inclinations in its melodic swathes. Every swing, devious hook, and vocal enticement is pure pugilistic incitement and irresistible temptation, the song stalking, haunting, and inflaming the senses with every addictive second before Blackmail offers its theatre of intimation and enterprise. The band’s superb new single almost taunts as it calmly beckons ears, Di Santo’s vocals mellow yet with a certain imposing edge which is echoed in the just as restrained sounds around her. The track soon hits a more predacious stride, Cornelius’ ever manipulating rhythms pulling the strings as the tempest of enlightenment and empowerment defiantly roars.

The funk lined Hereafter further reveals the diversity of flavour within the ON sound, its lively swing and indie honed invention easily courting the imagination while FLA draws post punk dilemma and shadows into its equally funky proposition. Both and especially the latter unerringly hit the spot and are soon joined by the scuzz punk trespass of Soul Killer. There is a great L7 rawness to the song which adds to its confrontational breath though yet again it is a track which is sheer infection loaded incitement.

Take A Shot instantly spins an eddy of grooves, a cyclone of sonic wiring which erupts between just as dynamic bursts of pop punk meets grunge rock imagination. The track emerges maybe the most deliriously catchy of all within the release though soon rivalled in tempting by the emotive croon of Try. Under sultry if shadowed twilight lit skies, the ballad soon proves as lively as those before it, rhythms again pure motivation to song and reception as too Di Santo’s ever alluring tones and basslines.

With Amends bringing the release to a captivation courting close, the ON album quickly and increasingly proved itself another of the year’s finest pleasures. Across ten songs, the trio draw on previous decades of goodness to fire up their own inflamed invention resulting in an album which we greedily devour by the day and we invite you to join us.

The self-titled ON album is out now via Indiestructable Records; available @ https://onband1.bandcamp.com/releases and most other stores.