Every so often, a band is unanimously picked by taste makers as the “next big thing.” Critics and fans follow suit, offering unconditional adoration, leaving me completely stumped and mystified. How can everyone possibly be on the level, while I'm off in exile with Ted Nugent? While I'll never understand the appeal of Vampire Weekend, there are times when I reconsider my initial conclusion.

Ourself Beside Me (OBM), the capital's new “it” band, universally lauded for their gloomy, reverb-drenched drone-pop, is one such band that has challenged me to think again and again, nearly resulting in a full-blown flip-flop.

My inaugural encounter with OBM occurred at the 2008 Modern Sky Festival where, despite label reps assuring me that the girls were “on some righteous sunshine,” they flopped. Bad acoustics and LSD aside, the band just offered nothing inspiring, leaving me quite underwhelmed when a press pack arrived with sample tracks from OBM's forthcoming album. “This album is just so-so,” comments guitarist Yang Fan, “because it didn’t record the very best of us.” Ignoring the Yang's self-deprecation, “Here I Come” is a two-minute gem, laced with bells, xylophones and angular guitar licks, while “Oh Jim” fuses the Velvet Underground classic with a coda that sounds like pure, sweet chaos.

“Sunday Girl,” the album's second track, is the LP's strongest cut. A sludgy drum and bass pocket combines with the aforementioned dronetone, creating a swirling foundation for an orchestra of melodic harmonicas, bells and traditional Chinese instruments, resulting in a brief, psychedelic paranoia. Then, just as the fear kicks in, a two-headed demon-girl offers her spooky vocal chant, calming tensed nerves.

While catchy and original, this song also exposes the holes in OBM's live assault, explaining my initial apprehension. Ourself Beside Me features so much extraneous instrumentation that it's nearly impossible for the gals to re-create this sound live, making me wonder how they'll dare pull off such a feat when they take the stage at Zhijiang Dream Factory on Jan. 17 for their album release.

Carsick Cars' main man Shou Wang has been known to accompany OBM onstage and luckily, the Cars, along with Snapline and AV Okubo share the bill at this Split Works and Maybe Mars-sponsored gig, hopefully resulting in a performance that does justice to the recorded material.

Still, this critique is only as good as its reviewer, so head to the show yourself and make your own opinion.