Ugly [LP]

Oh He Dead - Ugly [LP]

Oh He Dead is a study in contradictions. The D.C. band sounds as smooth and lux as leather, but there's also a levity there, like a feather in flight. They're not afraid to crack each other up with a crude joke or an impression - and their shows are basically one big hug. Dark and light, pain and joy, the band is best summed up by the origin of their name, which was coined by frontwoman CJ Johnson. When asked what happened to a cheating boy who was shot by his lover in a song of hers, she responded bluntly: ''Oh, he dead.'' And that's how a legend is born. Those contrasts and contradictions are ever more evident on their third studio album, Ugly, out TK date on Wally Babba Records. A suite of songs that encompasses everything from death to new love, the album acts as a kind of foil to their 2023 release, Pretty. A poppy, polished affair, Pretty is the flipside of Ugly, which Newbegin describes as ''your insides - whatever you write in your journal at 4:00 a.m. Homemade, gritty, raw, acoustic, and imperfect.'' The origins of Oh He Dead run deep - and they're forged from Newbegin and Johnson's years-long friendship. The former taught history at Johnson's D.C. high school, linking up with the singer when she introduced a new musical theater program. Johnson starred as Maureen in Rent and Rizzo in Grease - and blew everyone away with her powerhouse voice. ''She's one of those people that's one in 500 million,'' Newbegin says. The band rounded out over the ensuing years, adding Alex Salser (guitar), Adam Ashforth (drums), John Daise (bass), Colin Sidley (bass), and Piano Whitman (keys). ''Ugly is not meant to be just sad. All the songs are about the beauty of the darkness that leads to more light,'' Newbegin says. Yin and yang, birth and death, beauty and ugliness, Oh He Dead straddles worlds - all while keeping your feet moving until gravity wins out. Here's the next chapter of an epic tale. Oh He Dead started as a homegrown project out of Washington, D.C.-a handful of musicians chasing a soulful sound that felt honest, warm, and real. Over the years, that sound has grown into something big: a full-bodied mix of classic soul, indie groove, and tight, rich harmonies that make their shows feel like one giant hug. Their new album, Ugly, is their most refined and resonant work yet-written and recorded in a converted barn in rural Virginia, and it shows. There's grit and heart in every track. As The Washington Post put it, their music is ''infectious and soulful,'' and it hits even harder live. At the center of it all is CJ Johnson, whose voice has become the band's signature. City Cast DC described her vocals as ''powerful, emotive, and impossible to ignore.'' Whether she's belting or barely whispering, there's an intimacy in her delivery that pulls people in-and makes a room full of strangers feel like old friends. They've been recognized nationally too-Oh He Dead was named one of the 'Best Acts to See Live' by NIVA in 2022,and their performances at SXSW have earned them a growing coast-to-coast following. They've shared the stage with artists like Devon Gilfillian, The Dip, and Wild Child, and this year, they're opening for Sir Woman on several dates as they tour both coasts in support of Ugly. After this run, they'll head back into the studio this fall to work on their fourth album. Tracklist John Song Tell Me fet. The Honeynut Horns Is It My Love Two Days Strange Love Amore Strano Artemis Moonshine The Foreigner Every Last Trail Cover Me