BY JOE HERNANDEZ
PHOTO COURTESY OF ØLIVVER THE KID
In 2014 it was announced drummer Bryan Sammis would be leaving The Neighbourhood. He released two EP’s and several other tracks under the alias “Ølivver the Kid” before releasing his final song “Pink Tires. Smile Lines.” in 2016. With the release of the track, Sammis posted a letter to his fans announcing the end of that solo project. Since then, he has been working with guitarist Jake Lopez and the duo has released their debut EP Heavy Sunshine as La Bouquet in 2017.
A few days into the start of 2018 La Bouquet tweeted an announcement of the return of Ølivver the Kid, and followed it with cryptic tweets we now know are song lyrics. Finally, on January 8, Ølivver the Kid was reborn from it’s “passing,” and Sammis’ new song “Bitter” was released.
Though Sammis is the vocalist and lead for Ølivver the Kid and La Bouquet, both projects are sonically and stylistically different. La Bouquet saw a new era for Sammis. It featured a more alternative sound laden with guitar work and melodies. “Bitter” is a return to the heavy synth and loops familiar to Ølivver the Kid. Whatever project Sammis sets his mind to, he strives to make the final product the best possible. It’s obvious listening to any track how much feeling and emotion he puts into it, and “Bitter” is no different. Sammis achieved what he set out to make, and the emotion is felt on the listening and receiving end. Like any Sammis project, “Bitter” is a story told as the song progresses. During verses and the bridge, the instrumentation is simple and distant as Sammis’ soft voice recounts the memories and words said in a broken relationship. This is contrasted by the heavy production in the chorus, and complemented with Sammis belting the lyrics. The pain behind the words are felt throughout the song, and Ølivver the Kid couldn’t have had a better return.
Fans will be left in the dark where exactly this single leads, but every fan is thinking the same thing: never leave us again ØV.