Oceansize - Frames

J_E

(first proper review I've done, go easy on me kids!)



If there is one thing Oceansize, a five-piece band hailing from Manchester, have never been through the duration of their four album career, it has been conventional. From the start of their debut album, Effloresce, it's clear that the band have had a focused, unique vision, and their signature sound has comprised of unconventional time signatures to the tune of math rock, mixed with the rising 'new-prog' bands of the time, such as Muse and The Cooper Temple Clause. The more unusual stylings of their music have scared many would-be listeners away, unable to find a predictable rhythm in their music, but for those who persevere and take time to re-wire their ears around their music, Oceansize have been a treasure trove of wonderful music waiting to be discovered, and their third offering, Frames, is no exception. From start to end, the band send through a strong, cohesive album that is to be appreciated as a whole, and unlike the first two albums, they appear to have a clearer idea of what they want with the album, through the themes and tone of the songs.

The album opens up with "Commemorative 9/11 T-Shirt", not to be confused with the terrorist attacks of the same name, but a reference to the time signatures used throughout. The fragile opening builds as a simple guitar line is repeated through the song. After a lengthy intro, Vennart's vocals are introduced as the song begins to slowly become more layered and aggressive. The pace isn't forced, and although the song is unforgivingly long for a band that are looking to bridge the gap between prog and more common alt rock, the song is carefully phrased and there aren't any unnecessary stretches.

As the song reaches it's climax, the guitar suddenly leads us to the next track, "Unfamiliar". Here is where the band come into their own. The rhythms are unpredictable, and here is something that is somewhat reminiscent of their first album in the constantly shifting time signatures and strongly voiced lyrics. While most bands tend to lose the listener in mathematics with uneven time signatures, the band keep the flow, but sometimes it's felt that it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of predictablility in the rhythm as it can be sometimes disorientating. The drumming is impressive and the layered guitars are balanced well. The aggressive post-verse (honestly, I can't tell what is the verse, bridge, chorus, the song is chock full of these passages) suddenly switches to a calmer, triplet-based phrase, and it's nice to have changes of mood like this throughout the song. The bellows of "They say/The silence is sometimes paid" switches to our calm part, then explodes with screams of the song title. A strong track.

"Trail Of Fire" is similar in structure to Unfamiliar, perhaps a little easier on the listener as it actually plays in 4/4 at a point of the song. There are so many details in the track, the piano and guitar playing together, the little hi-hat beat playing silently, the floating backing vocals, but nothing is ever too strong. Again, at just over 8 minutes, the track can be overbearing for a casual listener, verses go into more verses, bridges become sub-bridges. It would be better to think of the song classically, running through motifs and phrases. The second half of the song is particularly impressive, with a solo launching into a huge sounding rendition of the introduction of the song. You'd be forgiven for thinking there is an orchestra here, as the sound is really larger-than-life. The song goes into a double-kick part then finishing with the piano/guitar melody it began with. One of the better tracks of the album.

After the initial heaviness of the first three songs, there is a period of calm with "Savant". I like how there is a sense of continuity as the end of Trail Of Fire is carried on with a warm pad. The song is a lot more relaxed, and gently builds up, but does not launch into a heavy riff-a-thon. In this sense, I felt an anticlimax with the track, after the thrill of Unfamiliar and Trail Of Fire, I was exepecting the song to 'explode' like those two, but even so, it ends with a chorus of strings and an impressive vocal run. Drums are intricate here but never overbearing, and the shifts in time signature are never too obvious.

"Only Twin" is one of those songs you're either going to love or hate. Starting with a slightly unsettling electric piano and foreboding guitar swells, the lyrics are pretty heavy going. "Did you drink the world dry/And extinguish all the sunshine?". The song appears to be about a frustrating relationship between the character and a person they love who is dying, and the suffering they are going through. At points the lyrics become a little melodramatic but present a very real sceanario and the feelings come through strongly. The chorus presents dark, clashing chords that resolve into a powerful, resounding cry of longing. The song, while well written, is quite overpowering with the dark chords and emotional lyrics. There is a sense that it's perhaps a little too sharp of a contrast in comparison to "Savant".

The next two tracks of the album continue this darker aspect of the album. Again, at 10 minutes, "An Old Friend of the Christies" is unforgivingly long, and takes a while to build up. A dark Drop-C riff slowly becomes stronger and suddently screeches into an angry, commanding chorus. The buildup is tense, and sometimes feeling a little drawn out, but the wait is worth it for the raging guitar solo over the power chords and thumping drum. The song prepares us for what comes next, and there is a progression into pure chaos for the next song, "Sleeping Dogs And Dead Lions", which interestingly, appears to hold the record for the longest swear word in a song (I'm sure you'll spot it pretty fast when you hear it). The noisy feedback at the start drops into a monstrous Drop-G riff, with distorted, sustained vocals. The song is ruthless, and nothing is being held back at this point. It's like a tornado, wrecking everything in it's path. The somewhat controlled chorus soon goes back into a screamo-style breakdown, and the middle section feels like it has lost complete control, with atonal vocal runs, heavy detuned instrumentation, and strong drums.

At the end of it all (if you survived that track), "The Frame" ends us with a polar opposite, a single guitar slowly playing a slow riff that slowly builds up with layers of guitars, pianos, and synths, and in a way the theme is reminiscent of previous tracks in the album, even if it does not directly borrow from previous material. It's a breath of relief after the extreme nature of "Sleeping Dogs..." and offers a slow, relaxing end to what has been quite a sonic journey.


Overall: This band will not appeal to everyone. Many people won't settle well with the unpredictable shifting time signatures, sudden shifts in mood from relaxed to testosterone-filled rage, and sometimes overbearing lyrical content and unsettling melodies, but for those who give themselves the chance to embrace the alternative nature of the album it's certainly a treat. The album is potentially one of the band's strongest, not in the way that it has many 'standout' tracks, but in it's appeal as a whole. The album feels like a story is being told, as we're taken through a journey of love, angst, uncertainty, and finality, and the tracks work very well together. Kudos to Oceansize; Although they never were commercially successful (and eventually broke up), they knew what they were doing with this album, and nothing feels out of place, nothing feels 'filler'. Every track has a role to play, and the instrumentation, combined with Vennart's strong lyrical content and powerful delivery, ensures that Frames is one of the 00's hidden treasures.

Track to check out: Trail Of Fire


9/10




Let me know what you think of the review, if people are happy with what I write I plan on doing one a week

J_E

Any feedback in regards to my writing style would be greatly appreciated!