Brighton’s Opus Kink have finally released their first album, The Sweet Goodbye. Having released their first single back in 2019, it’s about time the group are here with a long-awaited full-length project.
The record opens with the mysterious saxophone tones of lead single ‘Come Over, Do Me Wrong’ over gloomy bass. Frontman Angus Rogers builds layers to this mystery sound with his half-sung, half-spoken vocals. This is followed by similar track ‘Will It Come For You’, featuring the same dark tones but this time accompanied by creepy, whispered backing vocals. Fans of the band will recognise this track as a staple of their live shows over the past few years, and the studio version does it justice as it culminates in an explosion of beautifully layered sounds.
Taking it down a notch, ‘I’m A Pretty Showboy’ moves back to a lower tone with a bouncy bassline as the group’s wind section squeals. Halfway through the song, it resets sonically to how it was at the start – the second part ending with a sung chorus and trumpet solo as opposed to a breakdown of sound. Title track ‘The Sweet Goodbye’ continues with Opus Kink’s staple sound before retiring to a chorus of deep voices, who took over vocal duties for a bridge until the closing parts of the song.
‘Peckham Nocturne’ opens with a drum machine and features more crooning vocals from Rogers rather than his usually outgoing performances. This downtempo song provides respite at the midpoint of the album and is more akin to a jazz tune than post-punk. ‘I Have To Shine My Sunday Shoes’ picks up from this laid-back beat as it quickly launches into a more driven, purposeful track.
‘The Head Tree’ sees a feature from The New Eves, female vocals now entering the fray. This provided a refreshing new sound in the mix whilst not straying far from the sonic output across the rest of the record. After their stunning vocal performance, they are bid goodbye as the band thrust into ‘448C (The Colour of Love)’. If there’s any fear that this song follows any blueprints laid out earlier in the album, this is ripped apart in the final minute of the track as synth hits take the forefront over a bass sound that has become familiar throughout the record.
‘Crucify!’ is the longest song on The Sweet Goodbye. It’s the album’s final upbeat song, and what a party it is. Guitar, bass, saxophone, trumpet and keys collide under Rogers’ vocal lead before the song slows down into a feel-good piece that sounds like togetherness. ‘Oh, Irony’ is a lovely close to an excellent record. Another slow one, its sad tones pick up at the end, led by a yearning trumpet line before each instrument fades into oblivion.
Opus Kink have done something really clever with The Sweet Goodbye. You can hear the unmistakable post-punk sound shared by many of the group’s contemporaries, but performed in a very different manner. The trumpet is perhaps the most defining feature, and it works perfectly. This album is really something special, and is the culmination of almost a decade in the game.
