Mashing up spoken word, hardcore, rock, pop and more besides, we are taken by the hand and yanked through a blizzard of exciting changes. The highly intelligent and witty mix makes features out of the shouted word ‘fuck’ one minute and a single delicate tap of the bell of a ride cymbal the next.
Music
Rock Bottom has, at its heart, an epic sensibility that is screaming out to be synced to a film – probably over the end credits. Yep, it’s that good. It might be a slightly quirky take on indie pop, but that’s exactly what indie pop should be. This track is essential listening.
It sounds like an intentional anthem to me: full of aspirational language, flourishes of gospel ad-libbing and a choir of supporting voices adding warming colours that bloom into the arrangement as the piece progresses. Come on, America – you’d better do as it says.
All-in-all, The Rocky Coast of Maine is a stand-alone triumph, fulfilling its own mythology in its own run time. It’s beautifully played, beautifully told and is a haunting testament to folk music songwriting. Lovely.
This music is, by all accounts, the sort of near-trip-hop, meditative experience deep thinkers crave for a little calm & insight. What makes it stand out though, is the organic nature of the instrumentation, and the carefully selected structures that feed certain moments & flickers of soul & passion into the process.
The beautiful vocals on California Sunset mark Art Auré out as an exceptional and singular vocalist. The vocal range on display is highly accomplished, ranging from surprisingly low and intimate to fresh and impassioned, and the different vibrato speeds and incredibly elastic control are also extremely impressive.
Channeling Avici-style vibes, Take Me Back is an uptempo adrenalin-soaked rush through the sort of nostalgia-soaked lyrical adventures that have done very good business in recent years.
Voss Soss keeps gangsta rap alive with dark bars and a haunting yet mellow beat for this latest release.
Certain parts of Europe hold some of the absolute best raves in the world. This track takes you there, if you want it to. At the same time, there’s a calming ambiance throughout the piece, meaning it can be just as soothing as it is energizing – depending on what you need from it.
They write from a place of depth, and they craft their songs based on those intentions & feelings – they don’t sit down & say ‘let’s write a country song, let’s write something blues-rock’, the concept & the moment comes first, which gives them purpose, and a quickly unique vibe that runs throughout these four songs.
From a distance, there’s a simplicity to the sound – an easy pop groove that lights up the room as it should. The closer you get though, the more intently you listen, the taller those personal details and that truthfulness stand amidst the ambiance.
Tommy Ocean is not only an easy name to remember but one that proves more than worthwhile doing so once you’ve spent even just ten minutes with this album. There’s a certain purity to his sound, which fuses beautifully & authentically with the deeply considerate, honest & insightful manner in which he writes.