Font - “Sentence I”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…IDLES, Vampire Weekend, Dirty Projectors

Post punk with a percussive bent, Austin’s Font takes the blueprint of speak-sing vocals and psychedelic riffs and adds a jangly, ragged groove that takes their sound in a new and unique direction. Their debut single is “Sentence I” and though it is over in under three minutes, this track goes places. A crooked guitar line, krautrock four-on-the-floor percussion, and screams/ chants give “Sentence I” a sense of controlled tension. Stabs of melodies while a rhythm finds unshakeable groove, “Sentence I” builds to a cacophony of sound before finishing like a hammer’s last hit. While very under-the-radar with only one single so far, Font has already had some impact locally in Austin and SXSW should prove a nice springboard if the rest of their catalog is as exciting as this start. (Kevin McStravick)