Oliver Elf Army rebukes #45 with “864512GO!”

Everett’s Oliver Elf Army has been known to tackle a wide array of topics with irresistible dark wit and a punk ethic. The second single coming ahead of the release of their first LP, Oliver Elf Army Are Sending Thoughts and Prayers, drops the humor in favor of scathing rebuke. And though guitarist Martin Adams doesn’t explicitly name names, the intended recipient of OEA’s ire is glaringly evident: it’s a missive to #45 himself, Donald J. Trump.

Oliver Elf Army has always been pretty direct when it comes to lyrics, and “864512GO!” is arguably their most straightforward to date. “You’re a con/ And it’s time that you paid,” Adams sings before intoning “I hope that Satan finds you/ And lines up his demons behind you/ And they will tear you apart/ Like you tore families apart.” The music, however, is sneakily catchy; Henry J. Yarsinske’s bass ominously pulls you into the song from the start, and the lyrics of the chorus are sung sweetly, though the words are full of vindictive anger. You’ll find yourself singing “I hope that Satan finds you” in the grocery store, so be careful. Mary Adams’ drumming punctuates the whole thing like glaring exclamation points, driving sentiments like “you smell like Russian piss” home.

This single and its predecessor, “Corvette Summer,” finds the band in fine shape recording-wise. The addition of Yarsinske makes for a growling, toothy low end that didn’t exist on previous efforts, and three members sharing and trading vocals (especially on “Corvette Summer”) creates more opportunities for intricacy. These tracks presage a great clutch of music from the forthcoming album. You can bet you’ll be hearing more from us about that in the coming weeks.

The band is celebrating the release of …Are Sending Thoughts and Prayers with a show at Black Lab Gallery on Saturday, March 21st. Dreamy rockers Spirit Award and EDM wunderkind Sphyramid are also on the bill. Tickets are $10, and the show is all ages. Oliver Elf Army are releasing a limited edition vinyl of the album that will be available for purchase at the show. You’re going to want it.