Sunday, December 3, 2017

The Ocean Party - Guilt

Perhaps the holidays seems like an odd time for us to encourage you to embrace guilt (an emotion that usually infuses us after the holidays).  But Guilt, the new EP from The Ocean Party, is not an ordinary record, just as its Melbourne-based creators are not just an ordinary band.  The final offering of the year from a sextet that has enjoyed a cornucopia of productivity in 2017, the six-song set underscores The Ocean Party's ability to voice the fabric of their, and perhaps our, lives and dress their word-portraits up in some of the sweetest, shimmering guitar pop we have ever heard.  Their observations are concise but poignant, sentimental but clear-eyed  And they don't always have the answers, but they ask the right questions.  The songs on Guilt are intimate and immediate -- they could be a conversation with a mate as easily as a voice over your earphones.  Of course, unless you happen to be a friend of one of the six songwriters and singers that comprise the band, you will have to settle for listening over your earphones.  But that shouldn't stop you.  In our view The Ocean Party are one of the finest guitar pop bands in the world, and Guilt does them proud.

Guilt is out now via the fine Spunk Records in digital and cassette formats.  Their previous releases this year consist of an album of B-sides and outtakes, a tour tape, and the excellent Beauty Point LP (our review here).  The members of the band are Jordan Thompson, Liam Halliwell, Curtis Wakeling, Lachlan Denton, Zac Denton, and Crowman.








Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp for Guilt
Spunk Records page for cassette

No comments: