Options is the long-running solo vehicle for Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and engineer Seth Engel. Since 2008, Engel has maintained a prolific output, writing and performing every instrument on his recordings.
This 'one-man-band' approach results in a highly cohesive sound identity characterized by 'twinkly' Midwest emo aesthetics fused with the structural complexity of math rock. His work is often cited for its technical drumming and clean, intricate guitar tapping that avoids the aggression of math-core in favor of indie-pop sensibilities. Within the Chicago DIY scene, Engel is a respected figure, known for his work as a recording engineer for other prominent indie and emo acts, which informs the high-fidelity yet intimate 'bedroom-pro' quality of Options. Critics often compare his work to the technicality of American Football but with a more restless, modern indie-rock energy. His career arc shows a steady refinement from the lo-fi fragments of the late 2000s to the sophisticated, harmonically dense compositions of his 2020s releases like 'Swimming Feeling' and 'Had My Share'.
Shares contemplative, restless, bittersweet (moods); math rock, emo (subgenres)
Shares math rock, emo, midwest hip hop (subgenres); restless, bittersweet, wistful (moods)
Shares bedroom_production, dry_intimate, layered_dense (production style); restless, contemplative, bittersweet (moods)
Shares math rock, emo, indie pop (subgenres); deadpan, gentle, harmonized (vocal style)
Shares bedroom_production, dry_intimate, layered_dense (production style); math rock, emo, midwest hip hop (subgenres)
Shares math rock, emo, indie pop (subgenres); restless, bittersweet, wistful (moods)
Shares math rock, emo (subgenres); basement_show, urban_night, autumn_walk (atmosphere)
Shares math rock, emo, midwest hip hop (subgenres); restless, bittersweet, wistful (moods)
Shares math rock, emo (subgenres); restless, contemplative, bittersweet (moods)
Shares restless, contemplative, bittersweet (moods); urban_night, basement_show, autumn_walk (atmosphere)
Shares math rock, emo, restless, autumn_walk (signature)
Shares math rock, midwest hip hop, emo, autumn_walk (signature)
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