Futurist’s third studio album, ‘Year of the Ox,’ is project just over five years in the making, completed during the height of the global 2020 upheaval. The record confronts the modern perils of our technocratic, dystopian lockdowns, news cycles drenched in fear and misinformation, political division and civil unrest, and the pain found in our karmic, romantic relationships that bring all of our unacknowledged demons to the surface to face once and for all.

In the era of singles and instant gratification, Futurist digs deep with their rock-opera describing the descent of mankind at the hands of its own creations. Curtis Peel’s fascination with Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces,” occult mythology, astrological archetypes, ayahuasca and ceremonial medicines, and the lost art of the concept record have all culminated into the sonic landscape and the band’s compositional maturity shines through with every sharp turn and wistful arrival. The record is drenched with moments of paranoia, longing, defeat, and ultimately triumph, signaling that the only way out is through.

Via THE BIG TAKEOVER:

Led by central songwriter Curtis Peel, the project features psychedelic rock and heartfelt songwriting, achieving a sound best described as “future-classic.” By virtue of experimentation, a multimedia vision, and an energetic delivery, Futurist creates a wall of sound that ignites audiences with their own style and modern mythology.
Futurist release their first album, War Is Yesterday (2011) through a multimedia, interactive art installation and interdisciplinary album release event. The band teamed up with some of New York City’s most innovative young artists to create both an interactive walk-through album and interdisciplinary live performance of the record.
With appeal for both lovers of space-age and vintage music, Futurist has been likened to the visions of Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, My Morning Jacket, and Spoon. The group are known for their associations with folk-lore and psychedelia, with elements of this culture permeating the group’s instrumentation, effects, and composition.
During the extended break following the release of War Is Yesterday, Futurist have undergone some substantive changes in their overall aesthetic and collaborators. Moving away from the lighter, indie folk-rock sounds from their debut LP, the band have clearly developed some deeper and more nuanced styles that are featured throughout Omens.
The album is more technologically ambitious, as can be heard on tracks such as the dramatic “Slow Motion,” the dreamy, but angst-filled “Bad Air, Still Water,” and the harrowing and experimental “Harakiri.” Futurist have embraced their modern tools to create a hybrid sound that is both traditional and forward-looking.
Peel’s lyrics on songs such as rich piano ballad “Olive Mountain,” the wistful reverie “Crazy Eights,” and symphonic album-ender “Behold! (Lullaby for the End of Days)” all touch upon our modern malaise and the compulsive outrage that plagues this era of instant gratification and non-stop news cycles.
All the while, the urgent, yet spare rock anthem “Born on Fire” and the gentle, harmony-laden “All I Ever Wanted” prove that the band has not lost touch with their optimistic roots. Both the production and range of this record are the very good omens that herald where this band is headed in the future.
Jen Dan