REVIEW: Ought’s Room Inside the World

Ought continues to clean up their sound with a generally less jittery overarching feeling while fleshing out the more tender emotions.

Ought, Room Inside the World (Merge)

Perhaps the closest thing to streamlined indie rock that Constellation records has ever signed, locals Ought have occasionally raised eyebrows with the more accessible, hook-driven side of their catalogue. With the band’s move to Merge, Room Inside the World continues the trend of cleaning up their sound with a generally less jittery overarching feeling, but fleshes out the more tender emotions that classics like “Forgiveness” strived for. On “Desire,” vocalist Tim Darcy’s urgent mannerisms get backed up by a choir. The sense of scrappy youth has faded a bit, but their potency still comes from the emotional energy that’s always served as a backdrop to more anxiety-driven jams.

7/10

Trial Track: “Desire”