The Ophelias open up on Spring Grove

Spencer Peppet, the lead singer and songwriter for The Ophelias, promised their new album, Spring Grove, would not contain breakup songs. And this is slightly true—the record contains no songs about romantic breakups. But friendship breakups and riffs between ex-lovers still make up the DNA of the band’s fourth LP. 

The “Cincinnati-born” band brings their midwest flair to Spring Grove, as evident in the album’s title referencing a Cincinnati cemetery. Much of what makes The Ophelias’s music feel special is the esoteric quality of their lyrics—pulling the listener into highly specific scenarios. In the standout track “Vulture Tree,” Peppet references burning an effigy of a vulture to scare away other vultures in a neighborhood tree. The vulture tree becomes a metaphor for Peppet facing her mental illness; trying to set fire to parts of herself to heal.

In contrast, “Salome” confronts righteous anger in the face of misogyny. “I want your head on a stake / I want your head on a platter,” Peppet sings. The title (and the lyrics of the chorus) reference the biblical figure Salome—who asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. Bassist Jo Shaffer holds down the melody of “Salome” while drummer Mic Adams explodes on the drums, reinforcing the red-hot rage behind the track.

The Ophelias self-identify as making “art/indie/baroque rock,” but the traditional boundaries of genre cannot encapsulate the band’s sound. The ‘baroque’ label is justified by the band’s inclusion of a violin (played by Andrea Gutmann Fuentes), giving each of their songs a classical flair. On “Gardenia,” Gutmann Fuentes’ playing stands out, giving the song an airy, celestial quality—almost as if the listener may float away on the swells of the rising violin arpeggios.

As aforementioned, most songs on the record center on friendship breakups. “Parade” discusses an uneven friendship, where the speaker does most of the emotional labor for the subject. Peppet’s vocals sound exhausted, telling the subject, “I am so tired of holding you up.” “Open Sky” on the other hand, is a message of congratulations to an ex-friend after a breakup. “No need for reciprocation / Maybe on the other side / The dust will settle down to open sky” Peppet sings in the chorus—letting go of the relationship while acknowledging the impact it had on her.

Arguably, the ‘thesis statement’ of the album is present in “Cicada” when Peppet sings, “The feeling of you haunts me and I know that I can recognize that.” The title’s reference to a cemetery is not a mistake. Peppet is haunted by her past: the friendships gone sour, the illnesses (mental and physical) that have followed her, the face of an ex mirrored in their sibling. Spring Grove processes the past with compassion, sending thoughts of forgiveness to (most of) the people who no longer play a part in Peppet’s life, including past versions of herself.

And despite being ready to let go, the ghosts appear in Peppet’s dreams on the closing track, “Shapes.” Peppet’s ghosts remind me of my own, which I can’t seem to let go of. It reminds me of the songs shown to me by my exes, romantic and platonic. I still listen to them, knowing in time they will stop reminding me of people I used to love. All the same, I’m glad I know the song at all.
“I see you’re coming again, and I see what’s coming after: a reflection in the water, I am rippling forever” Peppet sings, closing out the record. Perhaps Peppet has more healing to do. Perhaps I do, too. Spring Grove is a cathartic start.