If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Tracy Conoboy Chicago duo OK Cool have their new album due out this Friday, and they've released one last single for those of us that can't wait. "Last" fits in perfectly with the previous singles we've heard off Chit Chat so far. It's a classic, vintage indie rock single updated slightly for today's more pop leaning sound. Like the previous songs, "Last" is going to give you early, lighter Built to Spill vibes, back when they were also a little more pop focused. OK Cool are becoming one of the cooler bands we regularly cover here at If It's Too Loud..., expertly merging the discordant and poppy sides of the indie rock genre. Bridget Stiebris says of her band's latest single: “I was inspired by songs like Basement’s ‘Oversized’ for this one–just a really heavy shoes walking kind of song.  I really love combining acoustic and electric guitars–which is something I’ve learned while making this record–and giving them each their own t...

Photo by Tracy Conoboy If you love cheery 90's indie rock, you're going to love the latest from OK Cool. FLOOD Magazine stated that "Safety Car" has "... an early Built to Spill vibe," and as much as I hate quoting another writer, I kept getting the same feeling from the song. It's reminding me of The Normal Years , when Doug Martsch wrote shorter, more poppy songs with smaller guitar epics inside. "Safety Car" is wonderfully catchy and upbeat, and has that crunchy guitar that helped define the late 90's. As much as OK Cool remind me of my glory days on this one, the more pop focused side of the song helps keep it sounding more modern and not a throwback.  Haley Blomquist Waller says of her band's latest single: "This song is about the people in your life that make you feel loved and grounded. I wrote it last year with my husband in mind while we were starting to plan our wedding.  There are references in the lyrics to things we do...

Photo by Tracy Conoboy OK Cool, the Chicago duo of Bridget Stiebris and Haley Blomquist Waller, have released three EPs in five years, and are now set to release their first album. The first single from that album, "Waawooweewaa," is a monster of DIY indie rock. It's a bouncy and emotional song with driving drums and fuzzed out guitars. It's the rare break up song that is going to inspire pogoing, and even includes a killer breakdown halfway through. We've loved OK Cool for a few years now, but if "Waawooweewaa" is any indication, this new album is going to be next level. This song is such an irresistible mix of DIY indie rock and punk that we can't help but be fully on board. Bridget Stiebris says of the band's latest single:  “I wrote the demo for this song in 2019 after a recent breakup, and I was kind of just musing on the patterns of my past breakups and how I felt in that moment. Any breakup of a serious relationship just sucks and I was in...

Photo by Kennedy Cottrell Chicago duo OK Cool seem to change up their sound slightly with every new single, and their latest is no exception. "soaked in" has this great poppy kind of sound with clunky indie rock guitars and speckled with some New Wave synths. It's a little song that has this giant, epic feel while still keeping its indie charm. It's ridiculously dance friendly while still keeping rooted in rock... although it's fully a pop song. "soaked in" is the kind of song that would be huge if enough of the right people end up hearing it. Bridget Siebris says of the band's newest song: “This song was super fun to write and I think it might be one of the most representative of the project as a whole.  It’s got a lot of goofy guitar lines and fun instrumental sections going on, and I get to do a lot of yelling which is always a plus. Lyrically, the song is kind of a larger bittersweet look at my adult life so far - reflecting on the bad and the go...

Photo by Kennedy Cottrell Chicago's OK Cool have tapped into a very specific time for their latest single. "nissanweekends" sounds like that very brief time in the 90's as grunge started to fade and just before the mid 90's/late 90's alt-rock power pop took over. It still has that sludge and noise of grunge, but a slightly more pop version. It's more of a slacker style power ballad, and it has some odd little noise rock flourishes. If we need to compare it to other artists, I'm going to go with a mix of that dog, Liz Phair, and Veruca Salt. But a more modern version of those. Haley Blomquist of OK Cool says of the new single: “‘ nissanweekends’ was written about the monotony of work and the stress that comes with balancing your time around it .  It can feel like a waste of time to not be productive when there’s so many plates I’m trying to balance at once, ultimately making it hard to ever relax without feeling like ‘if I lay down, the earth will open ...

Photo by Kennedy Cottrell OK Cool are the Chicago based duo of Bridget Stiebris and Haley Blomquist. The band's new single, "normal c," keeps its feet grounded firmly in the world of indie rock, but it's not quite your standard indie rock song. It's a little lighter and breezier than typical indie rock. This one is reminding me a lot of a slightly stripped down Weakened Friends, or if Belle & Sebastian decided to rock out harder. "normal c" is a fuzzy dream pop song with just a little more of an edge than you expect with dream pop. This is a fun and compelling song you're going to want to cram into your ears as soon as possible and as often as possible. Bridget Stiebris says of the new song: “ I wrote this song about the heaviness I sometimes feel about being out in public, and the eventual conclusion that sometimes I can just accept that feeling without digging into the underlying meaning, or feeling like it’s something that needs fixing." ...