Ohmme: Pop's Quiet Revolutionaries

Chicago duo Ohmme, comprised of Macie Stewart and Sima Cunningham, masterfully explores the boundaries of conventional pop on their expansive second album, Fantasize Your Ghost. They skillfully weave wayward impulses into accessible song structures, creating a thrilling auditory experience.

The opening track, 'Spell It Out,' exemplifies their approach. The song's narrative addresses domestic labor issues with quiet intensity, underscored by cyclical guitar figures and a pensive string section that eventually swells into a gentle, romantic downpour, subtly delivering its message.

Formed in 2014, Ohmme emerged from Chicago's vibrant left-field improvised music scene. Stewart and Cunningham have cultivated broad musical connections, contributing backing vocals to Chance the Rapper and string arrangements to Whitney, alongside collaborations with artists like Jeff Tweedy.

Their previous work, including a self-titled EP and the debut album Parts, established them as inventive indie rock musicians. They are known for balancing noise freakouts with placid vocal harmonies, with the two songwriters often sharing lyrical duties and complementing each other's improvisational guitar explorations.