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The scale of this debut album
from Manchester's Oceansize is apparent from
the start of the second track Catalyst. A King
Crimson-like flurry of guitars leads into a
quiet/loud song pattern, irregular rhythms punctuate
the music and singer Mike Vennart shows a certain
vocal versatility. And that guitar sound! Pitched at a
widescreen system, Catalyst contains more musical
invention and twist than most albums do in their entirety.
Unfortunately, that's also where my main criticism
of Oceansize lies - in their excess. The album lasts a
full 76 minutes, which you mathematicians will be able
to equate to more than six minutes playing time per
track.
Happily the welcome is rarely outstayed,
particularly in the instrumentals that offer a welcome
foil to the vocal-led guitar monsters. I Am The
Morning is a great slow builder to start with; Rinsed
is a blissed out amble that wouldn't be out of place
on a chillout compilation; and Unravel is suitably weird and
impressionistic, its clever
title indicating a sample of composer Maurice Ravel's
Gaspard De La Nuit.
The most immediate among the vocal
tracks is the majestic Amputee, whilst the mantra One
Day All This Could Be Yours is hammered relentlessly
into your brain in an explosive coda. Massive
Bereavement, almost a suite in the best progressive
traditions, contains the line, "I'm still running for a
bus that we missed years ago." This is one of several lyrical
gems on Effloresce.
With their broad harmonic
language and fluctuating rhythms it's difficult to
give an alternative to Oceansize, which is always a good sign.
If pushed I would say they've taken a good liking to
'70s rock but taken on board the works of bands such as
Muse and The Cooper Temple Clause, along
with the more expansive end of Seattle grunge music.
Yes, Effloresce is too long, but crucially Oceansize supply quality as
well as quantity.
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