Spectreview: Origami Angel – Gami Gang

Released: May 7, 2021

Pop-Punk
(Emo)
(Power-Pop)

-DARK ORANGE-

For a guide to the review color rating system, click here.

“Hеy, man
You tried your best today
And it wasn’t all that great
But who really cares”

Would you believe someone trying to write about music for a living had a hard time in high school? I don’t often wish I could go back and relive those years, but after listening to D.C. punks Origami Angel and their sprawling new record, I’m momentarily reconsidering it.

Gami Gang’s enthralling fusion of pop-punk, emo, power-pop and the open-hearted cheese of a Nickelodeon teen comedy is a snapshot of youth distilled into a barrage of tapped frets and anthemic, sing-along choruses. Credit where it needs to be given: duo Ryland Heagy and Pat Doherty have this style down to an almost suspicious level. They don’t provide any space to dismiss what’s going on here. Have an aversion to Heagy’s hormonal squeakiness? The vocal melody lines he conjures over their near-scholarly arrangements will more than likely overwhelm your bias. Too “mature” to revel in groaner titles like “Neutrogena Spektor” and “Tom Holland Oates”? That’s kind of the point; wholesome lyrics about self-acceptance, young love and nursing your emotional wounds while watching Pokemon reruns sit side-by-side with the duo’s impressive sense of musicality.

Twenty tracks may seem like a daunting task at first glance, but it’s much more of breeze than it appears. Album listeners will be pleased to see the duo display a deep understanding of pacing, as they balance fireworks (like the Sidekicks-esque “Möbius Chicken Strip” or the fretboard-clearing “Mach Bike”) with slower, more gentle fare (“Greenbelt Station” and “Bossa Nova Corps” among them). Together, it forms an extravagant, hyperactive sugar rush of musical theatrics that’s varied enough to keep your teeth from aching. To be fair, the youthful nature of Heagy’s lyrics is mildly questionable; he fluctuates between nostalgia (in antiquated references to Game Boys and ) and relevancy (the hashtagged title track, for instance) a little too often to attract suspicion, and some songs occasionally come across as “hello fellow kids” moments.

Then again, if there isn’t a chance Origami Angel are taking it seriously, why should we? What matters is that Gami Gang freaking rips, man.

Recommended for Josh Peck and his overwhelming positivity.