Album review by Cody-James Henderson
“OG forever, forever, forever, forever, forever”
Welcome back to the ODDWORLD baby, have you seen that’s it’s been an ODDWORLD lately? The jittering soundscape of repetition fills your ears, reminding that Ocean Grove is forever (and ever and ever and so forth) showing the talents of returning member Matthew Kopp. Better known as ‘Running Touch’ for his electronic musical endeavours, Kopp was one of the founding Ocean Grove members before departing in 2014. Moving from Guitars to a more comfortable position of Samples/Keys, Kopp returns to a sense of familiarity to the fold Ocean Grove continues to shape. But no sound is as familiar as the voice of Luke ‘Poochy’ Holmes, returning to the band since stepping away at the end of 2018.
Within seconds of ‘Cell Division’ bursting into the scene, I feel the warmth of this bizzaro group returning. I see Dales hair return to a green buzzcut, Poochy back in a signature jumpsuit, the green screen masterpiece that was ‘Lights on Kind of Lover’… it’s all coming back to me now. A straight return to the old school OG with hints of 1999, ‘Cell Division’ will be an appealing appetiser for what’s to come.
‘Fly Away’ marked the first single to be released as the band returned to being a 5 piece and showed that sometimes stepping back is still stepping forward. Its well crafted melodies and gigantic chorus fuse well with the ‘Nu’ genre of influence throughout the verses. It’s never been about being inside the lines for Ocean Grove, but more so where can the lines be pushed out to. Further evidence of that is shown on a track like ‘Stunner’. Its funk driven bass line from Twiggy Hunter puts major influence ‘Limp Bizkit’ right at the forefront in combination with the metalcore foundations that Ocean Grove built itself on. It’s an adventurous and rhythmic based direction with the desire to make bodies move together as opposed to against each other. It’s hard to believe a band that hasn’t been together in this capacity for half a decade still has the cohesive spirit that Ocean Grove possesses. It’s not that the previous records were bad by any means, but so far ‘ODDWORLD’ doesn’t have a missing piece feeling.
“Everyday I stand alone, catching raindrops from my eyes”
‘My Disaster’ plays more into the musical direction Ocean Grove found themselves taking after the departure of Holmes in 2018, putting more hooks and melody into a strong Rock Song dialing it back from the heavier elements from a moment. As Tanner takes the lead vocal duties back, I’m glad OG are keeping this piece of them going forward. Tanners voice has progressed so far since taking on co-vocals in the bands earlier days, and ‘Raindrops’ is one of his top moments. The duelling of major, happy sounding power chords with its low, depressing lyrical content makes this a strong song of the year contender, and proof that no matter the topic, Ocean Grove will always deliver. The same can be said about ‘Last Dance’. Tanners beautiful lyrical content shines here, tapping into a softer side without losing the edge of lower tuned instrumentals. It’s a song that will leave you with a floating feeling, opening doors to daydreaming and reminiscing all whilst you keep your mind grounded.
But remember, this is ODDWORLD baby.
‘My Disaster’ and ‘SoWhat1999’ switch back into Nu-Core territory and feel as if they are long lost tracks from the years of Black Label/The Rhapsody Tapes eras of Ocean Grove. It’s Rap-Rock infused with personal struggles offer call backs to prior Ocean Grove history not just musically but references the likes of ‘Slow Soap Soak’ and ‘Stratosphere Love’. These 2 tracks in particular see some of the hardest hitting from Drummer/Producer Sam Bassal, taking it home with a new level of intensity that will send the grooves down your spine. It’s a full 4D listening experience when you’re in the ODDWORLD.
Laying the foundations on OTP for ‘Adult Art Club’ and ‘New Babylon’ to lend their hands to this almost Death Grips inspired tune to close out the album. Why be odd if you’re only going to do it half effort right? It’s the full distance or absolutely nothing from Ocean Grove, so it’s safe to say that this record is nothing short of 100% from the Melbourne 5 piece.
My only gripe? Its length. It’s impressive to fit 10 tracks into just 25 minutes, but by the time you’ve immersed yourself into the world, it’s time to flip the record over and get ready to start it again. But then again, what Ocean Grove have accomplished in these 25 minutes is nothing short of a flawless experience.
If what you’re missing is “Old School” Ocean Grove after all these years, then this is the album for you. But it is also the album for any fans that have jumped on board over the last 5 years. It’s a pinnacle piece in an already stellar career for one of Australia’s oddest bunch, and stands a top the mountain of flawless records to come out of this amazing country in 2024.
OVERALL RATING – 9.5/10
STANDOUT TRACKS: Just listen to the whole thing, it won’t take long. You won’t regret it.
