Beggars Banquet

Oceansize have had some very lofty comparisons assigned to them in
their young careers, and their stunning debut full-length shows exactly
why they're appropriate and warranted while still providing for a very
original take on epic and destructive rock. Absorbing the album in its
entirety is not only recommended, it's somewhat required, as seconds
into it the sounds will prevent turning the music off or down. Theirs
is a serpentine, tentacled organism, splattered with blood and full of
color, inviting while it can kill in an instant. It is an old but still
clever deception: lure with the quietest moment, then strike before the
victim has any idea what has happened or what the true nature or power
of the attack is. The three-guitar assault, the ethereal keyboard
passages, the tight tour-educated sound are perfect for this brand of
murder, and Oceansize have studied their passion well. They are not
vain, as they leave their grand largesse on full display, not cutting
or splicing the fat to make for a leaner listen. The first moments of
the album reminded me of plenty of bands I have seen in small clubs,
unaware of their appeal, desperate in their need to impress. The
difference is that this band does, and when the quiet gives way for the
brutality, I was unafraid. Then the true space ride begins, and the
assurances that have built up from a life of caring are decimated one
by one. "Nobody ever said they'd love you forever" and "one day all
this could be yours" are the dream and the realization of Tyler Durden
in separate verses: there is no success, there is no accomplishment,
there is only the lasting disappointment. The trick is to make it sound
inviting. Oceansize accomplish that and more. The roller coaster ride
they induce is to be marvelled over, that in this day and age of
worthless garbage being released day after day, there is a band that is
capable of absorbing influences and creating a music that can make the
blood boil again. Where others have held that claim, and even had it
quoted in songs on their record, it's been a long time since it beared
any weight. I submit that it can, and does, with this album.
samples: