OMBIIGIZI is the poetically cathartic and expressive output from Daniel Monkman and Adam Sturgeon that they use not only as a place for their sonically dynamic songwriting but also as a medium to represent their Anishinaabe Ancestry. Their sophomore album, Shame is a momentous leap towards a better future within the shame we all share as humans, and The band is expanding on that idea in every way imaginable on this wonderful new record. The sonic palate of this record is hard to predict in a way that’s satisfyingly surprising with each listen. Jumping around from one musical world to the next on this album, the band switches between acoustic dream pop ballads to industrial-influenced heavy alt-rock, making the album a widely varied and entertaining listening experience.

The first track off Shame is the “lush” and wildly catchy Laminate The Sky that christens the beginning of the lyrical topic of the idea of shame “In my shame there is truth, laminate the sky” the song reminds me of some early The National tracks mixed with some more contemporary production similar to bands like Beach Fossils and DIIV.

The second cut of the album “Street Names and Land Claims” adds a slightly more electric and optimistic heartbeat to the top half of the record. It is the first track that Adam Sturgeon sings on the record. Connecting is an interesting song instrumentally but features one of the weaker vocal performances from Adam Sturgeon on the record.

The soft and well-textured track “What Was Said” is one of the cleanest and most touching moments on the album, with its layers of percussion synth and tasteful backing vocals.

The reverb-laden synthetic dream pop from Daniel Monkman’s solo project ZOON is present on this record but with a slightly different approach on Hands Are Up. The following track, City Trials is a melodically dense song that has some solid vocal performances in the chorus, with the vocal layers of Daniel and Adam blending beautifully together. The energy changes drastically to the heavy and angular Photograph with some pummeling rhythms and guitar tones. The verses feature charging guitar and bass riffs that build into a heavy and cathartic ending, an instrumental high point on the record. Ziibi is a gorgeous song that picks up where Photograph left off with its slightly more angular drum pattern but went in a softer more colourful and warm direction. Oil Spills starts with some nice vocal melodies and some really lovely instrumental layers and evolves into a very optimistic ending of the track. The ending title track of this record, Shame, is a satisfying ending to the record, builds further on the topic of shame, and reflects on one’s growth as one looks back to face the past.

Pre-order Shame by OMBIIGIZI HERE