REVIEW: Sick Day New EP "Overexposure"
By Rosie Accola
“Sonically, the EP of the same name is reminiscent of ‘90s rock staples. In the mix itself, it’s easy to hear echoes of shoegaze big names like My Bloody Valentine and Slow Dive, thanks to the fuzzy guitar tone. Wallace’s songwriting feels right at home in the folds of the fuzz, evoking the intimacy and insight of bedroom pop. ”
- Rosie Accola
Anyone who’s spent an extended period of time in Chicago knows that the city is home to a robust indie rock scene, which also happens to house some of the greatest working lyricists. Sick Day, helmed by Olivia Wallace, is no exception. Following in the narrative footsteps of Songwriter storytellers Palehound and Hop Along, with the distinctly Chicago ethos of early Liz Phair, Sick Day’s premiere EP Overexposure packs a lasting Indie rock punch in a runtime of under twenty-five minutes. The Chicago Reader asserts, “Sick Day have already made their case as one of the city’s next great emerging indie acts.
Wallace started Sick Day in 2019, eventually recruiting Ryan Donlin on lead guitar, Kaity Syzmbroski on bass, and Chaepter on cello. The band quickly found themselves at home in Chicago’s DIY scene, opening for bands like Winona Forever and Friko.
The band’s latest EP, Overexposure came out on March 14 Via Substitute Scene Records. The title track and lead single, “Overexposure” comes out on February 6. The track is reminiscent of Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine, with Wallace’s voice backed by a dense, fuzzy layer of guitars as Wallace sings, “Come over/ I don’t want to be alone tonight./Come closer/Are you afraid that I’m gonna bite?/Overexposure/it happens when you get close to the light.” Wallace’s lyrics effortlessly toe the line between tongue-in-cheek and biting; scathing hints of sarcasm reveal an underlying loneliness.
The music video for “Overexposure” was directed by bassist Kaity Syzmbroski and Tom Edwards. The video features Syzmbroski grabbing a burger at Lola’s Coney Island in Humboldt Park before missing the bus and generally having a shitty day filmed in black and white. Eventually, Syzmbroski gives herself several mirror pep talks and works up the courage to ask for her burger without tomato. While most music videos veer into the realm of the fantastic, the music video for “Overexposure” feels painfully accurate to the day-to-day struggles of an anxious person, making me feel both comforted and called out.
Bassist Kaity Symbroski elaborated on the single in a press release, stating, “Overexposure sonically evokes feelings of anguish, turmoil, self-doubt. A reclusive state where everything feels bigger than usual and you begin to doubt your perception of the world around. Is everything out to get me? Probably not. But in a death by a thousand cuts, you begin to pin yourself as the common denominator—and thus amorphously the cause of—your daily struggles.”
Sonically, the EP of the same name is reminiscent of ‘90s rock staples. In the mix itself, it’s easy to hear echoes of shoegaze big names My Bloody Valentine and Slow Dive, thanks to the fuzzy guitar tone. Wallace’s songwriting feels right at home in the folds of the fuzz, evoking the intimacy and insight of bedroom pop.
The second track, “Blindfold,” veers off in a dreamier direction with jangly guitars juxtaposing Wallace’s plea for a blissful ignorance as she sings, “I want a love like/ I’ve got a blindfold/ like I haven’t seen the shit that I hate the most.” This need for simplicity feels particularly apt in the age of online dating, where we’re all stuck dodging various red flags. Working in tandem, the dreamy guitar arrangement and Wallace’s vocals evoke notes of another Chicago Native who’s had her fill of mediocre dates, Liz Phair.
The third track slows down, with a simple finger-picked guitar leading the way. As Wallace laments, “It hurts to ask/ better seem dumb and detached.” The line encapsulates the catch-22 of a depressive episode: Why ask for help when you already feel hopeless? Wallace articulates the tendency to self-isolate for fear of being seen as vulnerable as bluesy electric guitars slide in. The punchline comes with the bridge, “And when you do/ they’re laughing at you.”
My personal favorite of the EP, “Meet Me at the Park,” would be right at home in a park-centric rom-com montage. I love the narrative setup of the song: “Meet me at the park/where we can play a game of baseball, and I’ll accidentally touch your arm.” From there, the guitars pick up the pace, mirroring the frantic heartbeat of someone hanging out with their crush. It’s an emotional reprieve from the doom spiral of the previous track, like seeing the sun for the first time in a week and suddenly realizing that slogging through winter means you get to experience spring.
The final track, “A Quiet Kind of Love,” serves as an emotional and narrative resolution to the EP itself. The emotional walls that have been constructed slowly start to lower as Wallace suggests, “Let me drive to your house/pick you up/when you’re down/ Let’s turn on some music/ I guess I’ll let you choose it.” The song feels like the realization that the right person can make errands feel magical. The guitars veer giddily throughout the song, lapsing into longer expressive solos. Ultimately, Wallace realizes, “This is the quiet kind of love/ no need to act like I’m a tough guy,” which feels revelatory when Wallace is questioning why anyone would ask for help two songs ago. It’s a triumphant end to a tightly-packed EP that showcases a wide range of talents and emotional sensibilities.
Overall, Sick Day’s latest EP is a testament to the power of Chicago Indie rock, perfect for fans of Pinksqueeze and Lalala. Overexposure is out on March 6 via Substitute Scene Records. You can watch the music video for the lead single “Overexposure” here.