Hello Reader,
Welcome back. How have you been?
Today, we’re going to delve into The Ophelias, a former “all-girl band” that started in Cincinnati, Ohio while three of the four current band members were in high school. The fourth member joined the band in 2019. Nine years after forming, The Ophelias are a proud queer and trans band. The band is made up of Spencer Peppet (guitar and vocals, she/her), Mic Adams (drums, he/him), Andrea Gutmann Fuentes (violin, she/her), and Jo Shaffer (bass guitar, they/she).
Their debut album Creature Nature (2015) was self-released, followed by Almost (2018), For Luck EP (2020), and Crocus (2021) which were released via the wonderfully radical, artist empowering Joyful Noise Recordings label after musician Yoni Wolf saw them and submitted their debut LP as part of Joyful Noise Recordings White Label Series, releasing the debut again to a larger audience.
And recently on Friday April 12th, their newest music output, Ribbon EP was released for your listening pleasure.
Giving credit where credit is due, Ribbon EP credits:
- Spencer Peppet – plays guitar, vocals, piano, synth, and is the songwriter.
- Andrea Gutmann Fuentes – plays violin.
- Mic Adams – plays drums, percussion, gang vocals.
- Jo Shaffer – plays bass guitar, gang vocals.
- Calvin Lauber – plays additional guitar on “Dust.”
- Engineered by Marshall Moran and Tyler Hicks at Figure 8, “Rind” mixed and mastered by Marshall Moran
- “Black Ribbon,” “Soft and Tame,” “Upper Hand,” “Dust” mixed and mastered by Calvin Lauber
- Album art by Jo Shaffer and Spencer Peppet.
And now some hype for your ears!
Autumn adventures in the video for “Black Ribbon”:
(All credits and rights to The Ophelias)
The late night car ride video for “Soft and Tame”:
(All credits and rights to The Ophelias)
Overall, Ribbon EP is another step forward for The Ophelias. They continue to mix the angst of Peppet’s vocals with a variety of melodies and influences including but not limited to chamber pop, baroque folk, contemporary bands of theirs and bands of the past that remain influential to them. Listen and see which influences you hear. The lyrics, moods and themes examine significant life changing moments since the last album as the band members are undergoing new experiences and repeating others. The album features lovely songwriting growth from Peppet and great composition choices by the band. There’s fantastic musical instrumentation on each song. The EP sounds great to one’s ears. Kudos all around.
In the titular song, “Black Ribbon,” Peppet’s vocals truly standout to the listener. It’s the way she delivers her vocals in a strained way that really enhances the song, turning it up a notch. The melody of guitars and violin kicks off the song followed by drumbeat. The lyrics are about Peppet’s and Shaffer’s transitions.
“Soft and Tame” relives specific experiences of returning home to the area you grew up in for the first time in a while. It’s contemplative in nature. You see familiar faces, have they changed? Are they the same? Have you changed? Very relatable for most humans at least once in our lives. Ultimately the song decides to move past the town and the negativity. The melody builds beautifully and then crescendos. The song features excellent guitar work, drum work and bass guitar notes.
The next song, “Upper Hand” seeks an apology. Its melody is led prominently by violin from Gutmann Fuentes and paired with guitar.
In “Dust” acceptance occurs with the realization of who a person really is. There will be no apology. Time to move on. The melody is started by guitar strumming, bass and synth. Lauber plays a gnarly guitar in the chorus that pairs well with Peppet’s vocal delivery further enhancing the bittersweet lyrics and theme.
The melody of “Rind” is somber and brooding at first that pairs perfectly with the frustrated lyrics then flips with a rollicking drumbeat into something more orchestral and lively sounding. The lyrics take a more sarcastic bite at that point.
Ribbon EP gets 4 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. It is a very good EP. Relative to other EPs released in 2024, it fits into the upper echelon of the 4 Scum Drop territory. Good musicianship, songwriting, composition and sonic quality. Whether you’re a long time Ophelias fan or not, it’s worth adding this album to your collection on the format of your choice!
Ribbon EP Track listing (song length)
- Black Ribbon (3:10)
- Soft and Tame (4:49)
- Upper Hand (2:01)
- Dust (2:48)
- Rind (4:36)
Total runtime: 17:24
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. This process is just over a half hour if you do it twice with this EP. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, the songs that are highlighted in green font above are my favorite songs on the album.
The bands comprehensive site, with more about them, socials, tour info artist website linked right here!
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
