I was surprised by the song "Doing Fine" from OpCritical. I put it on as I drove home after a long shift, hoping for nothing much, and all of a sudden I felt like the trip was shorter. At the end, I parked outside and just absorbed the atmosphere and the thoughts I had just heard.
The song develops from powerful guitar parts before reaching quieter and more sustained sections. The rhythm provides continuity and movement. OpCritical develops their own style without sounding too distant or forced. Care can be heard in each and every change, but nothing sounds overworked or unnatural.
When I was younger, I left a group of people I believed I should have been part of. After that, family gatherings were not the same or as comfortable. Doing Fine brought those memories back, that feeling of being on your own path. It got me thinking like the song does, sometimes it is better to take your own path.
The video has a vintage tape aesthetic, quick edits, and colors swirling around the screen, offering a different side to the track. The members of the band seem to be trying to break free from what is holding them back. The presentation works together with the music, and that was an energy I didn't know I needed that day.
When I hear it, Doing Fine continues to grow on me. This song is a clear sign of OpCritical's intention to challenge music that sounds the same, a concept they started with in twenty twenty six. It connects with others who choose their own path rather than one that is chosen for them.
I have played this song during times when I felt I needed to change my identity, either at work or socially. It reminds me to take time to ground myself and remind myself that I am a person as well. OpCritical really brings emotion to these songs, and their other releases this year seem to be similarly open and honest.
The tune continues to rise and rise, and it lingers in the mind. Not a song that stays with you in an annoying way. It feels like a pleasant memory or a story that you want to revisit. I still hear bits and pieces of it in my head.
OpCritical is creating music for a real reason. Doing Fine reminds us that we do not need to be afraid to be ourselves. Sometimes that is the most important thing you can do. I will return to this song again when I'm feeling overwhelmed or when I need to remind myself to stay on my path.
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