Oceanator - Everything Is Love And Death

 

I mentioned in my review of Nothing's Ever Fine (here) that Elise Okusami was an awesome Guitarist, she still is of course, but that doesn't cover it at all, the multi instrumentalist has been given more studio time than usual and the third Oceanator album is awesome.

Everything Is Love And Death feels slightly rockier and more varied than Nothing's Ever Fine, but that allows Okusami to stretch out even more impressively. The Pop Rock is still here, Happy New Year is ace AOR and the opener, First Time may be the best opener that I've heard in quite a while.

Get Out, the lead single, is a much heavier affair, far more in your face, all attitude and that works well with all that surrounds it. Be Here is very 80s, built around a fine Guitar riff and more synth. Drift Away even gets more than a little Garbage sounding.

Won't Someone is perhaps the most surprising, sounding unusually heartfelt, even a little delicate and fragile. Surprising, because so much here is upbeat and the reflection shows an added string to the bow, particularly the splendid atmospheric arrangement.

All The Same is wonderfully melodic with a great Guitar sound and Cut String is delivered at a rapid pace that grips you. The excellent Will Yip production helps an album that is beautifully performed, arranged and sang into an absolute winner.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl, CD, Cassette and as a download.

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Oceanator - Nothing's Ever Fine

Elise Okusami's Oceanator release a second album and it is a crackerjack Pop Rock affair. Although you would be forgiven at times for mistaking it for something much different. Okusami can certainly play guitar and at times this ability takes the album in harder directions without ever losing sight of the melody. 

At times, Nothing's Ever Fine sounds incredibly close to Power Pop with a pace and hook remarkably close to the genre, particularly on The Last Summer and Beach Days (Alive Again). Yet elsewhere a song like Summer Rain has Celtic overtones.

Stuck is very 90s moody Alt Rock, even a little grungey and certainly much heavier than songs that surround it. Solar Flares inhabits a territory somewhere between The Breeders and Porcupine Tree. Post Meridian is a short sub two minute instrumental half way through the album and that sounds a little Rush in Moving Pictures mode.

Bad Brain Daze is a splendid dose of Indie Guitar Pop, yet the closer, Evening is a hypnotic melancholic beast with a stunning Guitar break out two thirds through. Nightmare Machine is close to Modern Prog, yet there is a chorus that is catchy as catchy can be.

The real joy though is the Pop Rock. The Last Summer is all jangle at a frantic pace and Beach Days is out and out 80s Guitar Pop of the highest order with a Power Pop solo to applaud. There is a lot packed in here and not all may appeal, but you will be surprised at how cohesive the album is. A great listen!

 You can listen to and buy the album here.

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