Ocean Colour Scene
On The Leyline

I am almost moved to talk to you about the umpteenth masterpiece by Ocean Colour Scene, 15 albums in nearly twenty years of an honorable career.

The days when the band knocked Oasis off the top spot of the UK chart (year 1997) are now long gone, but Fowlers and company have continued to churn out masterpieces, yes because here we are talking about songs that are classics right from the first listen. Nothing innovative from a musical standpoint as they have remained faithful and consistent with a certain Pop/Rock that has its roots in the 60s/70s, their references are The Beatles, The Who. One does not necessarily have to be innovative or experimental to offer beautiful music.

Ocean Colour Scene are unjustly among the most underrated bands on the planet, mainly because they are not a cover band (like Oasis, U2, Radiohead, REM), nor are they scandalous (Oasis, Libertines, Placebo), because unfortunately nowadays it is not enough to make good music to reach the general public, as absurd as it is that in Italy they are only known thanks to the ripped off "A Better Day" by our Cesare Cremonini, at the time the so-called leader of Lunapop, who copied both the intro and the text in equal measure, translating into Italian the title of the second hit single "Un giorno migliore".

Forgive me for the lengthy introduction but it was necessary regarding this great band.

Let’s quickly move on to the album "On the Leyline" - 13 pop/rock tracks, which don't change the style a bit, and the 60s/70s fragrance that the band has offered us over the years with masterful expertise, the album opens with the upbeat and splendid single "I told you so" (Good Old Dear Lennon would approve with gust, tapping his foot to the beat), halfway through the album we find the rock-oriented and overwhelming "I Just Got Over you", followed by the energetic "stadium anthem" "Got to sea" written together with Paul Weller, from here to the end of the album is perhaps the most awaited moment by OCS fans, the ballads, always full of pathos, capable of delivering splendid emotions, among all to note "Don't get me", a delightful folk gem, "Mr Brown" which seems to come from Paul Simon's pen when he was still with Art Garfunkel, and closing with the very sweet "Daylight".

For lovers of the genre, it's certainly an album not to be missed, also to be purchased by those who want to approach a certain type of sound and atmosphere, they are great, they always manage to write great songs, it's a band to reevaluate or to discover for those who have never heard of them. Happy Listening.