The Exact Opposite has exploded into the scene with their most recent single, “You Work For Us Now,” giving a glimpse of what to expect on their forthcoming debut album entitled “Skill Issue.” Released by Dental Records, it is a track that immediately captivates with its infectious energy and polished production.
Comprising lead vocalist/guitarist Jamie Stuart and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Nigel Powell, The Exact Opposite have an impressive alternative musical history having worked together in Dive Dive as well as pursuing solo projects under the names Dustball, Unbelievable Truth and Frank Turner And The Sleeping Souls.
This song was written early in 2021 when the two reunited, setting the tone for their sound. Nigel Powell has nostalgic memories of this time where music flowed naturally between them. It combined Jamie’s angular post-punk guitar style with an irresistibly danceable beat that laid down what would become the bedrock of The Exact Opposite’s sound.
Recorded at Jonny Greenwood’s studio, “You Work For Us Now” is not just catchy but also speaks about perseverance in one’s work especially within artistic pursuits which are key to the upcoming album. In many ways it is a testament to how committed they have been to making albums from day one and they never wavered from that commitment according to Powell.
“You Work For Us Now” makes for a perfect inauguration into The Exact Opposite’s prowess musically and introduces their debut album as nothing short of explosive. With strong hooks that are memorable alongside powerful singing as well as dynamic instrumental it leaves no doubt in listeners’ mind that they want more from The Exact Opposite.
ABOUT THE BAND:
Band chemistry is a strange, undefinable, intangible thing, but when it’s there, it’s undeniable. And it’s undeniable that new duo The Exact Opposite have it in spades. That much is clear from the first listen of their debut album, Skill Issue, a record that fizzes and fizzles with a very tangible chemistry that should and needs to be listened to from beginning to end. That it’s just singer/guitarist Jamie Stuart and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Nigel Powell makes the depth, richness and full-bodied texture of these songs all the more impressive.
Stuart and Powell already knew they had chemistry from their time together in Oxford’s Dive Dive, which they’d formed in 2001 after their other bands – Unbelievable Truth and Dustball, respectively – broke up. On ice for 15 years while Powell and the other two members of Dive Dive played full-time as Frank Turner’s backing band, The Sleeping Souls they have now rediscovered that vitality.
That defiance and determination manifests in every song on this album. Recorded in Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead’s home studio in Oxford over the course of a month, Skill Issue was produced, engineered and mixed entirely by Powell (“Jamie brings the Burt Bacharach,” he quips, “I bring the Trevor Horn.”) and both recalls and builds on the pair’s impressive musical heritage, while forging boldly forward into new territory, both lyrically and musically. That The Exact Opposite have made such a stirring, youthful record is proof not just that they could and can still do this despite their fears of growing older, but also that they absolutely should.
They’re different people 20-plus years later, but neither were particularly surprised to find their long-established symmetry was still there in full force when they started making this record.
“From my point of view, it was instant,” adds Powell. “Jamie’s one of those guys that I just have chemistry with, so it was very natural. It’s much more interesting being in a band with somebody who is conflicted about the idea of being in a band than being in a band with somebody who has no doubts, because they end up saying more interesting things. And we’ve got an album that’s proof of that.”
