The Ocean's Eyes

Lost Along The Way EP

Written by: TL on 12/03/2012 14:23:30

Another release from last year's leftovers is "Lost Along The Way", the second EP from London quintet The Ocean's Eyes who, judging from the sound of the EP, are currently trying to make a name for themselves playing an anthemic, energetic pop-punk with a melodramatic emo tint to it. Both the production and the playing sounds solid for a band at such a relatively early stage, and the singing has the pleasant quality that comes when a band does not ask its singer to go outside of his comfortable range, meaning that vocalist Luke McInroy sounds more like a real dude, than either a 12 year old or someone who had his gentleman's parts in a clamp and robotuner constantly applied while recording. And thank God for that!

The songs on "Lost Along The Way" are pretty tightly put together, focusing heavily on chorus, chorus, chorus, with opener "Keep Me A Secret"'s refrain being repeated for what seems like a million times, but between it and the song's bridge and solo there's exactly the kind of dynamic going that you want to have when trying to pen a catchy pop-rock tune. The following "Wake Up" follows a similar structure, but at a slightly heavier pace and with slightly more anthemic heights, while third track "Room Of Red" returns with some pop-punk speed and a Paramore-ish riff.

All three songs mentioned so far are quite easily accessible and recognisable on repeat listens, so I don't think it too much of a problem when closer "The Best Stories Are Lived" doesn't quite work as well for me. In fact, I'd say The Ocean's Eyes are doing pretty well for a band trying to find footing in England's busy underground. Their songs are tad predictable though, so I must admit that I worry about whether they have enough personality to their sound to rise to a more prominent level of competition, but then, including "Lost Along The Way", this is a band which has only ever put out two EP's and both of them in 2011, so maybe it's quite okay if they have room for improvement yet.

7

Download: Wake Up, Keep Me A Secret
For The Fans Of: Matchbook Romance, Just Surrender, A Road To Damascus, You Me At Six
Listen: facebook.com/theoceanseyes

Release Date 24.10.2011
I Am Mighty Records

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