The new album was entirely written, performed, and produced by the duo, with engineering support from fellow Chicago musicians Avery Black, Brad Harvey, and Wesley Reno, and pulls from new material as well as songs the band had written as far back as 2019.
That Stiebris and Blomquist can evolve while maintaining hat has consistently made them great since their inception five years ago shows how keenly aware they are of their strengths, and also how willing they are to keep discovering new places for their sound to go after three EPs.
Chit Chat pulls influence from a wide range of contemporary indie artists who value lyricism and experimenting with production and form, such as Great Grandpa, Rosie Tucker, Indigo De Souza, Illuminati Hotties, Alex G and Oso Oso. The album blends songs with hooky melodies (“Fading Out Forever”), shoegaze sensibilities (“Splitting”), guitar theatrics (“Jeans (I Get It Now)”) and even delicate piano (“Loop”), but these tracks never feel disparate thanks to the thoughtful songwriting and instrumentation that fans have come to expect from OK Cool.
Standouts from the album include singles “Waawooweewaa,” which Stiebris describes as “an oldie but a goodie” and highlights the band indulging in their most straightforwardly rock and roll sensibilities; “Safety Car,” an ode to the people who have your back that features synth over the album’s most endearingly pop chorus; and “Last,” the album closer, a heartfelt reflection on self-doubt over a perfect blend of acoustic and electric guitars that Stiebris and Blomquist say is a mutual favorite OK Cool track.
Chit Chat is the sound of a band simultaneously continuing to invent their voice and remaining confident in leveraging what’s worked. It’s the sound of two best friends collaborating effortlessly to craft a singular sonic language. And it’s the sound of two masters of their art creating a debut full-length worthy of the hard work they’ve put into getting to this point in their career.