Standard [LP], Southpaw Flhc, Vinyl

With their ever-mutating brand of jazz- and country-laced punk, Opus Kink have always cut a singular figure in a saturated landscape. Making their name with incendiary, cult-like live shows, the band has developed a sound as elusive as it is recognizable. Underscored by a formidable horn section and a ragged, sardonic delivery, the group bears a passing resemblance to post-punk and no-wave acts such as The Pop Group, The Birthday Party, and the Lounge Lizards. However, it is their weaving of older, more traditional influences-choral, folk, country, Latin, Weimar cabaret, and cruise-ship crooning-into the fabric of their music that truly sets them apart. Their highly anticipated debut album, The Sweet Goodbye, follows a series of EPs and singles that have earned acclaim from NME, DORK, DIY, CLASH, So Young, BBC Radio 1, and playlisting on BBC Radio 6 Music. The album was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer and mixer Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Florence & The Machine, R.E.M.) and features a guest appearance by The New Eves, whose 2025 debut album reached No. 1 on the UK's Official Independent Albums Chart.