Oceansize
Everyone Into Position

THE REVIEW

Oceansize got it all wrong. Or rather, they got the wrong era. Can ten years be considered an "era"? When it comes to the assimilation of music, definitely yes. Ten years ago, there was your favorite magazine, your monthly bible, the new world, or so you thought. Ten years ago, you would show up at your trusted shop drooling with a list of names this long. Ten years ago, you would come home, unpack the CD and booklet in hand, huge headphones on your head, press play and everything would turn off. . . and turn on at the same time. Ten years ago, you could LIVE a band like Oceansize, savor every phrase, grasp every nuance, expanding into their world. . . you could LISTEN to them, in short.

Today, Oceansize risk going unnoticed, discarded outright for their seven-minute average, or not fully understood due to their lack of immediacy. But the risk is ours, the greed for "more of everything, immediately" thanks to P2P might make us miss one of the most interesting bands of the moment. After the masterpiece “Effloresce” from 2003 and the equally superb EP “Music For Nurses,” the five from Manchester churn out a challenging album despite more pronounced melodic lines compared to the past. As I write, their sound grows, expanding little by little, until it fills the room. Trapped, it becomes claustrophobic, imploding in the space-time, trying to take me with it into another dimension, theirs, the Oceansize. In a certain sense, they could remind you of Amplifier, not by chance fellow citizens: same long apprenticeship, same explosive debut, similar basic references. Although Oceansize, besides having a significantly lesser impact, emphasize English influences more, those of Radiohead (“Ornament The Last Wrongs,” dreamy electronics), Muse (“A Homage To A Shame,” devastating, the noisiest ever), and early Porcupine Tree (“You Can't Keep A Bad Man Down”). But you will also find a hint of Soundgarden (“The Charme Offensive,” if only Cornell would decide to sing an octave lower, these would be the results) and many Dredg-esque atmospheres (“Music For A Nurse,” wonderful). But these are all references that appear like flashes in the evolution of the tracks, luminous spots that allow strong lines to be drawn, highlighting a very strong personality since the debut, because after all, Oceansize doesn't mimic anyone while embracing a wide range of sounds.

I hope I've whetted your appetite but please, not at McDonald's. This time set the table properly, pour yourself a good red, and enjoy the filet at leisure. . . possibly rare.