I Am Oak
Nowhere Or Tammensaari

THE REVIEW

There are artists who completely change the way you see certain things. There are artists who travel in the shadows, whose fame barely extends beyond the borders of their neighborhood plus a handful of unfortunate souls scattered around the world. There are artists who make you travel 600 kilometers to see their concert in a drab club in Modena that measures 3 meters by 3 and doesn't serve alcohol (only herbal teas and fruit juices, if you catch my drift) with an audience of barely 20 people, almost entirely incidental. You, however, are not there by chance; you have been following him for months with the enthusiasm of a 13-year-old girl dealing with evident acne-related issues and interpersonal relationships. In fact, you realize that the artist in question is wandering bored outside the venue, smoking a cigarette, waiting for the show to start. It seems unreal to you. There are artists you find yourself talking to for hours, before, during (yes, during), and after the performance. There are artists who do all of this by choice, because "we don't want to overdo it, we like to do everything naturally and with intimacy, we feel like completely normal guys" (quote.)

All of this is I Am Oak. A project born from the mind of Thijs Kuijken, a Dutch guy with a decidedly hipster/indie flair. Brief history: it all starts solo in 2008, he strums the first 2 or 3 pieces, then the first record comes out (a gem), it's called On Claws. Unavailable, unless you want the vinyl version. Then slowly the sound enriches, stimuli evolve, he involves other friends: an electric guitar (Robby), a bass (Stefan), and drums, but be careful not to call them intrusive (Tammo). The second album, Oasem, is released. Just wait less than a year to understand that the band (and its mind, Thijs) is in a phase of creative grace. Out of nowhere comes Nowhere or Tammensaari.

It's the culmination of the project started 4 years earlier. The indie-folk soul emerges perfectly, with the right strength (Oasem flowed away more lightly, like an imperceptible breeze) and with the right maturity (On Claws is a raw gem, not that this is a flaw, to be clear). Choirs are perfectly tuned, great pathos, it will touch many chords of your musical sensitivity without ever being intrusive. Tracks like "Marrow," "Grown," and "Everything in Waves" are potential bombs. The solution is always the same: starting with a guitar and voice duo, then a continuous crescendo. The only exception: "Palpable," the single extract. A whirlwind that transforms into a lysergic hurricane live. Drums on loop, guitars never out of place (as well as the voices, of course). Other tracks like "Famine," "Cluster," and "Boulders" reflect Thijs's more classic soul, finding their roots in previous albums, with lighter touches and more delicate atmospheres, but never lowering the overall intensity. Last special mention for "Reins," a unique piece among the bunch (not the best, though), more exquisitely pop with slightly more intricate arrangements and solutions, yet always with an oak-made DNA.

As I said, there are artists who completely change the way you see certain things. Or, there are artists you simply adore. For their art, for their calmness, for their philosophy. I think it can be defined as "total art." There's I Am Oak. Mark this name down. Gently, though. As they wish.