Oceansize finally get a thread of their own...C/D?

The fact that their main songwriter is a self-confessed fan, naming them as his favourite band and wearing their T-shirt at any given opportunity? Their chord-changes often bear the fruity hallmark of Tim Smith's colourful collective, and their use of organ is strikingly similar.

This new album is growing on me by the listen; it might well be their best. It's certainly their most consistent, and the song-structures, while concentrating more fully on melody, are also their most sophisticated, even sublime.

Have not heard this new Oceansize album yet but you've got me interested. Meanwhile, here's Oceansize doing a perfect live cover of Cardiacs Eat Em Up Worms Hero

Cool! I'd just like to say that having heard the album a few times now, it is astounding, vying for my Album Of The Year award (still just behind 65DOS on balance), and chock full of brilliant riffs, hooks, chord-changes, rhythms, and atmosphere. 'Savant' is probably my pick of the tracks, but really there isn't a weak link, and all the songs have parts (at least) that cause a little flutter in my stomach. These guys are so far ahead of the pack on so many levels.

Also, why'd they cover, like, one of my least favourite tracks on STG? Hell, it's still awesome, but it isn't world-ending (like, say, most of the others). Gah, I guess it's the most aggressive, the most metall-ish one they could find (hence the only one MV could persuade his bandmates to learn).

Showing off, of course.

http://www.myspace.com/oceansizeuk

All the songs here are brilliant but if you have "emo-fied" misconceptions about this band, first see my opening post, then listen to "Savant" and have your mind blown. Be my guest. Stephen, if you're reading, you especially are invited.

Also, Stephen, which Oceansize have you heard before?

fucking love this band especially their debut album.

give me a break

?

terrible band, sorry dude. there's a band like this in every american city and none of them are good.

link plz

also what of theirs have you heard

I mean if there's a Cardiacs-inspired ultra-melodic post-metal-psych band in every American city, you guys have it better than I thought.

wow this band sucks

so do like 80% of the tweecore indie nothings you have an encyclopaedic knowledge of but i see nobody having a bash there :D

Anyway I wish people would explain quite why they hate on Oceansize. Generally they've heard one track and dismissed it as try-hard emo BS. Also generally they've heard one of Oceansize's more commercial numbers. This sort of music improves so many times over once you've listened a few times and gotten used to the idiosyncracies and the songcraft. Again, this looks like utter bollocks when I say it, but in my experience it's completely true.

Folks, if yr going to their Myspace, DON'T listen to "Music For A Nurse" first coz that's their Helicon 1 rip-off (and even then it's still awesome).

I mean there's a handful of about 5 bands on Earth I will go to bat for EVERY time, and Oceansize are definitely one of them.

Also don't listen to the one below that because it sounds like early 00s Incubus.

i don't like the vocals, the songs are often lengthy for no good reason, their heaviness makes them seem drab and uninteresting in a way that early mogwai (since you just mentioned them) managed to avoid. also i don't like prog particularly

xposts

actually i have no idea why i'm discussing a band i could never hope to like. although i dug 'amputee' briefly

i saw them open for...god what was it?..the doves i think...few years ago.

i dunno, they didn't really do anything for me one way or the other...they just seemed like a band...sorta reminded me of like late unwound meets smashing pumpkins or something with sorta dull ploddy songs.

they didn't seem like something very different or special, especially at that time, i felt like i would see a lot of bands that were just the same.

but i have to remember how young you are and the fact that you are from the UK louis, when i think about how you think about bands like this...like i couldn't imagine the environment you had to grow up in, like 00s UK bands...you've been through a lot....

i'm sure oceansize would be mindblowing in that context, cuz they were like at least halfway decent and seemed like non-douchebag dudes.

being told the horrors or kaiser chiefs are good bands you are supposed to like is like being burned with cigarettes as a child, you probably never get over it.

In my opinion, they have a lot more going for them melodically, creatively and structurally than other bands of their type, and a lot of this comes from being intimately acquainted with some of their non-obvious influences (the aforementioned Cardiacs, Mr Bungle etc). They do a lot of stuff within whatever template they possess (triple-guitar psych-indie?) and when I saw them live they blew up the room for 1 hr 40 minutes. It was genuinely stunning. I can see how they can be lumped in with Dredg, Biffy Clyro, Cave In and other bands of that nature (shit, they share enough fans), but IMO they're doing something on a far grander, more realised scale.

Matt I appreciate what yr saying but that's a little patronising given how many very different bands I've eulogised on ILM. The workings of the British music presses are old-hat to me, and I've never even given the Kaiser Chiefs a second thought. By the time they or The Horrors had it large, I was already searching for the next avant-garde thrill. I've heard a LOT of exploratory indie/metal, and I feel safe in saying that Oceansize are up there with the best of them.

yeah i know i was mostly just kidding around ; )

but yeah maybe they are awesome...this was a few years ago, probably like five years or something

they did not remind me of mr bungle

who i only saw once and missed half the set cuz stupid ass sepultura sideproject Puya or whatever canceled then we had to sit through before-they-were-famous incubus yuck, dude had a digeradoo

hahahahaha i was at that show (the quest/glamslam/whatever), but instead, i missed all of bungle. fucking puya can eat shit.

lol well the lead singer/songwriter's a big fan of Mr Bungle but his band don't sound a fig like 'em, no. but there is a mischievous spirit-connection in there somewhere, i'm sure of it!

Five years ago they were pretty good by all accounts but their 2007 album catapulted them to the next plain of godly IMO. Their gigs on that tour were universally well-reviewed.

lol Incubus, trust me when I say they're genuinely incomparable to Oceansize, i.e. I have ears

oh weird yeah it was the SNO-CORE TOUR i think...i thought system of a down was pretty decent actually, fun band to see live.

I mean there's a handful of about 5 bands on Earth I will go to bat for EVERY time, and Oceansize are definitely one of them.

Who are the others?

Earth Crisis, Spin Doctors, Ozomatli and Gay Dad

^^^

Fucking win.

never been that keen on what I'd heard of oceansize, but I saw them open for FNM a couple of weeks back, and I have to admit they were pretty bloody great. once more, I'm in accord with you LJ. what's your recommended OS album?

they're not as good as their brutalist side-project, KONG, though: beautiful, amazing, horrifying stuff.

omg, not heard KONG! must rectify forthwith

all 3 Oceansize albums (and the Music For Nurses EP!) are pretty bloody great but the latest one (Frames) is the best. it's a mammoth slice of unrelenting heavy wonder. but the first two are no less stunning, really.

thanks, I shall follow that up.

not heard kong?! for shame, sir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bqhY31PBug

listening now.

if there's one band simply guaranteed to have me and americans at each others' throats, this is it. but i really don't get why. is it genetic? for some reason americans seem to hear all that is undesirable about heavy music in oceansize, where i hear joy, excitement, and compositional excellence.

an unkind part of me thinks that they block out unconventional or awkward chord-patterns as unlistenable noise

this KONG stuff is good, much rawer and simpler than Oceansize, therefore more likely to appeal to y'all doubting Thomases

too soon for me to comment really... my previous encounters with OS left me with the impression that they were fairly ponderous, but the gig the other week was a masterclass in vast but intricately structured bludgeon. the vocalist is a bit of an acquired taste, I guess - a little bit yorke, a little bit bellamy. not usually to my taste, but it worked in this context.

Kong's album I found to be pretty bleh as That Kind Of Music goes but I did enjoy them when I saw them a couple of months back so won't give up on them yet. Don't think I'll ever care about Oceansize tbqf but others^ claim to have seen the light so...

a masterclass in vast but intricately structured bludgeon

*nods vigorously*

They take a bit of getting used to. There's a lot more going on than people are initially willing to countenance. Once you're approaching them as an alternative rock outfit rather than indie-metal, then you're getting somewhere. The music isn't so much ponderous as weighty, but their touch is deceptively spry.

Oh, and if you like Frames, make sure you hear Effloresce. It's seminal. Then Everyone Into Position, which is probably their most commercial album but nonetheless has several instances of jawdropping wonder, not least the *truly staggering* final track, and sounds like liquid gold. Then you need to hear the MFN EP, if only for the first track, which is dynamite, and one of their best 3 songs. Although the rest is great too. Hey - it's all on S*****y. BUT BUY IT!!!

OK, just listened to savant and found it pretty forgettable. Don't care for the vocals and complicated structure/=automatically interesting. I like this kind of music to generally have some kind of an edge. I don't know. If there's a wave building I want it to crest at some point. Recommend me another song.

ok, one out of nONE then, but you have been warned, lack of 'edge' is not a problem there

also savant is a sublime and beautiful piece of music which rewards repeat listens but nobody's gonna bother so hey

ornament/the last wrongs is something you should at least hear btw, ditto saturday morning breakfast show, and i am the morning is about as wonderful an opening statement as any band has conjured (AS an explicit 'opening statement' rather than a song)

ho! I picked up frames for £3 in fopp. will report back after digestion.

http://press.superballmusic.com/public_upload/jpg/medium/1252074236.jpg

Home and Minor is an EP by Manchester-based alternative rock band Oceansize, due for release October 2009.

1. Legal Teens - 4:28
2. Getting Where Water Cannot - 5:24
3. Monodrones - 2:34
4. Home and Minor - 8:10
5. Didnaeland - 3:22
6. The Strand - 8:04

http://www.rocksound.tv/news/article/oceansize

The direction we have gone in is a little bit more reserved. I mean, there’s this one song, ‘Legal Teens’, it sound likes a weird, sci-fi, cocktail tune. We’d usually counterbalance that with loads of riffs and psychedelic weirdness but we thought we’d try and make a mini-album of more reserved songs that have something in common with each other. It’s our acoustic-like record, only there are no acoustic instruments and it’s not an album!
There are four songs and then two little bridge-like pieces. It’s quite different for us because it covers a lot of ground. There’s a bit of pumping electro on it, some pedal steel guitar, a really nice girl singing on it, trumpets… We’d never even dreamed of using brass instruments in the past! So yeah, there are a few firsts. I’ve got that healthy apprehension about releasing it because I just know that some of our fans are going to throw up as soon as they hear it. In about two years time they’ll think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. That’s the kind of curse we have, that of constantly trying to keep ourselves interested, as well as everybody else….

this has also leaked and is pretty good.

i know there are like only three people on ILM who gives a shit:

http://www.superballmusic.com/media/release/large/634141015013763750.jpg

Self Preserved While the Bodies Float Up is the upcoming fourth album by the band Oceansize. It will be released on September 14, 2010 on Superball Music.

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Part Cardiac" 4:10
2. "SuperImposer" 4:15
3. "Build Us A Rocket Then..." 3:59
4. "Oscar Acceptance Speech" 8:54
5. "Ransoms" 4:07
6. "A Penny's Weight" 3:38
7. "Silent/Transparent" 8:29
8. "It's My Tail And I'll Chase It If I Want To" 3:36
9. "Pine" 4:55
10. "SuperImposter" 5:16
11. "Cloak (bonus)" 3:39

from that so called Music For Your Ears site:

thanks Tish & Maleko12!

The plentiful, yet unhealthy musical landscape currently inherited can be explained simply by consumer demand. Popular culture resembles a Big Mac – cheap, quick to fill, but also lacking a key component to long-term pleasure – substance. For every well-intentioned, honest standout artist, five individuals with a resemblance to Ke$ha will follow. With that being said, over Oceansize’s ten-plus year career, these five Brits have served as a symbolic 16 oz. steak, packing their obtuse compositions with plenty of substance, leaving many a listener over the years feeling more than satisfied after a spin of a record or two.

When commenting on the album, guitarist Gambler stated, “Most of the songs are shorter, more concise. We didn’t set out to write shorter songs, it just happened; we didn’t feel the need to drag them out and elaborate on them any further than necessary. I think we’ve been tarred with the ‘oh-they-write-long-proggy-songs’ brush so I think a few people will be quite surprised”. By reading between the lines did this mean that Oceansize were destined to sell out and subject their work to mass consumption by purging themselves of substance? Luckily, while utilizing more succinct songwriting, Oceansize’s latest release, Self Preserved While the Bodies Float Up, finds the group maintaining their hearty artisanship and at the same time trimming the excess fat, making their fourth full length release arguably their finest record yet.

The quintet begins their latest endeavor with the uncharacteristically abrasive “Part Cardiac.” Opening with ominous feedback, the initially sparse soundscape erupts with chunky guitars and the operatic vocals of front man and guitarist Mike Vennart. The aforementioned commented earlier in the album’s conception that “…there’s one tune that we’re just practicing at the moment that is just the f**ckin’ loudest, most obnoxious, sludgy, horrible, heaviest thing we’ve ever done.” If this reviewer was a betting man, “Part Cardiac” would fit this description wonderfully. In the least, the opener introduces the listener to a sleeker, more muscular version of the band.

Following closely behind “Part Cardiac” is first release, “SuperImposer.” Here, Mark Heron on skins embraces the spotlight as he pulverizes everything within arm’s reach, creating a steady, upbeat backbone on which the four other members stick to. While not nearly as memorable, third track “Build Us a Rocket Then…” maintains Oceansize’s shockingly blistering pace as Self Preserved While the Bodies Float Up reaches its middle portion.

Older fans, take a deep breath as the more timid and restrained Oceansize of yesteryear are still very present on their latest full length as the middle portion of the release demonstrates the group downshifting into slower material all the while stirring up a captivating atmosphere. “Oscar Acceptance Speech” is an extended eight-minute daze of a song as Vennart croons over subdued piano and the steady beats of Heron. About halfway through the piece is when the music decrescendos into a minimal, still utterly stunning orchestral movement that will leave one breathless. “A Penny’s Weight” continues the album’s more tranquil mid-section with a composition built on the strength of vocalists and guitarists Vennart and Steve Durose. Both men shine with their voices as the melodies presented create the airy backdrop on which the rest of the song floats. Closing the middle portion is another eight-minute adventure entitled “Silent/Transparent.” Opening quietly, the seventh piece on the album unwinds like a traditional post-rock composition – crawling at first, locating its feet, and finally sprinting to the finish line in grand fashion.

Rounding out the album, “It’s My Tail And I’ll Chase It If I Want To” resurrects the initial energy found on the beginning of the record with bombastic blasts of guitar, inadvertently giving the piece an almost euphoric sensation that rejuvenates the listener. Finally, “Pine” serves as the final highlight to an album chock full of sensational songwriting. Better have those Kleenex ready as “Pine” comes across as the most vulnerable and moving track on the album, featuring a passionate singing performance by Vennart, accompanied by a touching string section bound to make one’s icy heart melt. Without a doubt, “Pine” is one of the most remarkable compositions Oceansize have put to tape.

Self Preserved While the Bodies Float Up finds Oceansize scaling back the grandiose in favor of more streamlined, accessible material and the music presented is all the better because of these alterations. While a couple tracks suffer from less memorable songwriting, most notably “Ransoms” and “SuperImposter,” emotions are more exposed, variation is better explored, and the songwriting is increasingly dynamic on the group’s fourth and latest release. With a more digestible product, Oceansize is bound to receive the attention and acclaim they desperately deserve as the material these Brits have prepared is boundless in ambition and timeless in appeal.

Tracklisting:

Part Cardiac
SuperImposer
Build Us A Rocket Then…
Oscar Acceptance Speech
Ransoms
A Penny’s Weight
Silent/Transparent
It’s My Tail And I’ll Chase It If I Want To
Pine

Album's here:
http://www.we7.com/#/album/Oceansize/Self-Preserved-While-The-Bodies-Float-Up

Thoughts:
Despite being marginally patchier than their other albums, it's very good, and has the Oceansize poise between brutality and delicacy down to a fine art. The first two tracks are both stunning (and borrow not just the name but the melodic sensibility from a certain band I quite like). Would say that there is an unfortunate weak point, namely the last three minutes of the otherwise gorgeous and headspinning Oscar Acceptance Speech (yeah, an orchestral wind-down is all well and good but Savant did it way better and this doesn't appear to have much point except 'oh look! profound!' although I am not ruling out a Damascene conversion) and the subsequent Ransoms which is boring. Fortunately, the lovely A Penny's Weight prevents Ransoms from inflicting too much damage. Silent/Transparent builds to a fairly mighty climax which is then completely overshadowed by the outstanding It's My Tail, probably alongside that opening gambit the best song on the album and one of the band's finest creations. Pine is like Ransoms but better, although still not particularly interesting - the sort of song that will probably grow on me. SuperImposter is fucking awesome - it's got real avant-rock soul, if that doesn't sound too preposterous - a leaner take on Voorhees, if you will.

Now I'm back listening to Part Cardiac and wishing the whole album were a bit more like these first two tracks - with a few deeply honourable exceptions (Savant, Long Forgotten, Unravel, some of the Home And Minor EP, Relapse, A Penny's Weight) I really do prefer this band when they're kicking ass.

and by 'some of the Home And Minor EP' I kinda mean The Strand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QywBlxdXd-o

kickassssssss

promising

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkc9A_wDh08

That's really good! I do like Vennart's first album though it's more straightforward than Oceansize.

apparently he has gone all-in on the C******s worship this time around

Yeah I can hear it, on that track at least :D

yeah it's a good album