ALBUM REVIEW: Optic Sink – S/T

Goner Records

Released: 02.10.20

Imagine cold wave, analogue synthesised, post-punk nihilism force-fed through a warped 8-bit sound chip in pop overdrive, while lyrically battling the angst and dystopian Trump-ton town ethos for a Soft Quiet Life.

This isn’t some simple chip-tune anger fest though, oh no, written primarily by Memphian Natalie Hoffmann (NOTS) as a cathartic response to personal grief and absurd politics, expertly assisted by percussionist Ben Bauermeister (Magic Kids). Optic Sink’s album seamlessly fits into a retro-futurist Kraut/new wave psyched-out synth scene reactively emerging in Memphis. Sounding much like a stark expressionist maelstrom, it took a few years for Hoffman to create and has the feel of early Joy Division without guitars but all the beauty and originality firmly in place.