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

By Christine Mitchell on February 17, 2020@Housetornado37

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.

Christine Mitchell has been poring over album liner notes pretty much since she acquired the skill of reading, and figured out the basic structure of rock songs at an early age. Whether it’s the needle popping into the first groove of the record, the beeps that signal the beginning (or end) of a cassette tape, or digital numbers ticking off the seconds from zero, music brings Christine happiness, ponderous thought, opportunities for almost scientific study, and sometimes a few tears. When she started attending live shows two decades ago, a whole new piece of the puzzle clicked in and she has been hooked ever since.