USE AND ORNAMENT

Hailing from the avant-rock realm of Quatermass Records, Regal Worm delivers a fantastic debut that shows strong potential for this band as far as how deep they can dive into weird music while still keeping it fun. Use and Ornament is an album that screams out humor with complex composition. Despite the fact that the album is mostly instrumental, there are the occasional vocal parts, and they are certainly well done, as can be seen on the track "Apple Witch," an upbeat piece that reminds me of Inner Ear Brigade with its catchy blend of jazziness, retro vibes, and modernity, as well as in the case of the surprisingly elegant female vocals that appear out of nowhere in "Confession From a Deep and Warm Hibernaculum." What really characterizes Regal Worm though is the instrumental, such as the exemplary track "Cherish That Rubber Rodent" which is quirky but very catchy and singleable at times or "The Aunt Turned into an Ant," with its rollercoaster ride that starts off somewhere in the vein of Yugen meets Anglagard to controlled ambient noise, horror soundtrack-esque segments, and even some psychedelic rock jamming. From blaring saxes to swelling Mellotrons and tasty basslines, Use and Ornament is certainly a debut that leaves me eager to hear how Regal Worm will progress in the coming years.