OH HE DEAD - “Small Talk for Dead People”

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…The Suffers, Brittany Howard, Seratones

Nothing wrong with a killer funk and soul band, the lane that OH HE DEAD ride on their sophomore record Pretty. They avoid wedding-band sterility however, adding extra grit and a little bit of jam to their original material. Jazzy changes are made sounding easy on OH HE DEAD’s tracks, the groove properly taking center stage. Neo-soul melodies give their vocals extra emotional weight, just a hint of modern pop/R&B to ground OH HE DEAD’s music smoothly. R&B, blues, and Southern rock trends weave through Pretty as well and this well-roundedness is what makes the DC-based band sound progressive in a traditional genre.(Kevin McStravick)