Okay You Win- 'Smoke'

Single Review

Quick note, this was originally going to be a straight review, but I hope it also hopes as a mini-introduction to the band, for those not familiar with them.

Though they formed in 2023, I only discovered Okay You Win back in April last year, opening for Alain Johannes at The Underworld in Camden.

Opening acts often have a hard job, as venues are rarely full, people are making their way in or are to and from the bar, and sometimes you see bands possibly not firing on all cylinders in that slot as a result.

That wasn’t the case for this band, though and they delivered a storming set of heavy-psyche, grunge influenced stoner rock which reverberated around the venue and had me immediately wanting to hear more from them. The London-based quartet, comprised of Dave Kirk (vocals), Ryan O’Hare (guitar), Rodrigo Barradas (bass) and Antonio Peci (drums) delivered a sound which brought together some elements of some of the sludgier sounding grunge which has always been something I’ve enjoyed, and elements of doom whilst also incorporating elements of desert rock and classic sounds too.

I’d say they would hold an appeal for fans of anyone from Black Sabbath to Soundgarden and beyond. I mentioned in reviewing the Alain Johannes show that frontman Kirk can hit some Chris Cornell-style highs and often has a soaring quality reminiscent of some of Ozzy Osbourne’s best stuff. When melding with the sounds of the band behind him, it is a really potent combination.

There was a previous live EP (‘Live From The Pit’), which I quickly got my hands on and have played constantly since, but have been waiting to hear more from them. Fortunately, that time is now upon us.

In mid-February, it was announced that the band had signed a record deal with Blues Funeral Recordings, and now it has been further confirmed that the debut studio album release from them, entitled ‘End of Days’ will appear on June 26^th this year. With that announcement, also came the release of the first single from the new album, ‘Smoke’.

I was familiar with ‘Smoke’ from both hearing it live and on the previous live EP, but this recorded version, really fleshes it out and gives it a full-on powerful beast of a sound. A sound of a band that are comfortable together, well-oiled and know the sound that they want to make.

It’s a song that immediately starts out with a great tempo and riff that continues throughout. In a brief online conversation with frontman Kirk, yesterday, he says, somewhat depreciatingly that the lyrics are ‘surprisingly basic’. It is quite introspective, talking about stress, and references ‘smoke’ (for a band whom identify as a part-stoner band, it doesn’t take a genius to work out the type of ‘smoke’ being referenced), and using it to get away from the stress of life, using it as a coping mechanism and form of escapism as well as “metaphorically seeing myself in the flames and smoke”, he adds.

From that chat yesterday it’s revealed, the riff that the song was built around came first from O’Hare, conjuring it up on guitar, before Kirk comprised the melody and lyrics to fit around it, which he says is a pattern that the band usually gravitate to when writing their material. Kirk added that this was the way he usually prefers to work. “ It allows me to ‘get’ the feeling and the emotion of the guitar part and then create words and melody that more authentically fit that”, he adds, saying that while he very occasionally will have lyrics ready first, he prefers to tailor lyrics to the music rather than vice-versa, comparing it to buying a made to measure suit, rather than something just off-the-peg.

The lyrics build as the song itself does, remaining consistently heavy throughout with the bass and drums creating a constant, heavy-hitting rhythm throughout as the story of release via the ‘smoke’ builds and builds, with elements of the music that get heavier and weightier as the song builds on the sounds which opened it, leading to an impressive guitar solo in the mid-point of the song, before slowing down and giving Kirk a chance to sing lines that sound like almost a lament ‘trying to keep my feet off the ground’, over the quietest section of the song, before it bursts into life again and hurtles towards a riff-filled conclusion.

It’s a song which Kirk explains has been a favourite amongst long-time fans of the band (I recall when seeing them that there was much bouncing and movement along to it, and the tune and tempo really lends itself to that) and noted that it “had to be a single”.

It also features heavily in the history and make-up of the band as Kirk explains that with its heavy psych and stoner sound, it effectively signalled the end of he and O’Hare’s previous band, ‘Empty Friend’ and opened a new direction for them to follow, so it can be said that the song helped birth the band and means that their oldest song, has become their first official single release.

It is a great choice, too, it shows what the band is about, allowing a great display of musicianship and brings together all the elements you want to get from this type of music with Kirk’s voice topping it all off nicely with its controlled-then-soaring vocals delivering the inward-looking lyrics.

As far as first releases go, it is a very strong one and gives a glimpse of the power that the band have. It certainly gets me excited for June and the full-album release, and I’d certainly recommend checking them out, either by giving them a listen or catching them on some of their upcoming live dates.

Okay You Win Bandcamp Page:

https://okayyouwin.bandcamp.com/

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