Kentucky native fuzz-rock duo Optics & Design have officially released their gritty new single, “Did You Hear Them Say.” Released via Dangerpin Records, the track is the much-anticipated second single from their forthcoming LP, Tongues in Cheek. What started out as an inside joke from watching syndication in a hotel room before a show has now become a definite fan-favorite live staple. Years ago, the song debuted live in person, and now it finally settles into the studio, uncompromised, perfectly capturing the band’s characteristic blend of heavy fuzz and inventive left turns.
Fuzz-Rock Groove
From the first moment, the rich harmonic layering and enchanting rhythmic groove create an inviting, elevated atmosphere, immediately capturing the listener’s attention with an unpretentious energy. The song playfully explores tempo, dynamics, and the absurdly earnest messaging of syndicated 2000’s daytime television. Optics & Design filter this bizarre tale through a decidedly less wholesome, high-octane lens, specifically inspired by a 2001 episode of Walker, Texas Ranger, in which Hulk Hogan played Boomer Knight–a former gangbanger who finds redemption in prison and devotes his life to helping troubled youth through community-center basketball.
The project is an effortless and continuous engaging momentum with lively instrumentation, fat basslines and smooth and polished arrangements. It begins with a swagger-heavy, hulking rhythm that then twists through shifting riffs, unpredictable transitions, and restless changes in momentum. This is a great production balance, a creative vision on a high level, and a sonic identity that is well-defined and keeps you interested from one song to another. Every surprise move is proof of the duo’s impeccable construction and complete musicality and impressive execution, keeping the audience on its toes as one movement flows into the next.
