Ocean Flaws are a four piece from Brentwood in Essex. Forget the connotations this may bring, they are a band of substance.
They released their debut EP 'Dancing To The Fear' this year and here is our take on it:
Intro
Any intro or opening track should lay the ground work for what is to come and this does just that. It might only be a minute long but the indie-pysche of The Verve circa 'Storm In Heaven' shines through and establishes what Ocean Flaws are about.
Mojo
Singer Callum Quirk lays down a solid marker for iconic frontman vocals here. The angelic nature of Liam Gallagher combines with slight spikiness of Cast's John Power. Like John Power, Quirk is key to the melody which allows guitarists Hamish Monk and Sean Heaney to take us on a trip.
The main guitar riff loops through 'Mojo' inspired by a young Nick McCabe. It has a perpetual feeling which swirls its way to euphoria during the chorus. Not content with this, there are sublime slices of bugged out guitar parts throughout this track. They give this anthem a depth and prove this is not a band looking for a quick and shallow route to the top.
Like A Fool
Much has been made of Aussie band The DMA's evoking the spirit of Britpop lately, well, 'Like A Fool' falls into this category too, for all the right reasons.
There is an honesty and earnestness to the vocals which will allow this track to succed in a pub or an academy venue. The big singalong moments in the chorus are set to unite all those that listen at their gigs.
Again Monk and Heaney combine to take this track from Radio X filler to something more interesting. The big riffs are in place to reel in the masses but, its in the quieter guitar moments and the lyrics, that a level of self-doubt and fragility emerge. This keeps the band interesting and human, not everyone can or should have Oasis levels of confidence (if only someone told Menswear).
Dancing To The Fear
The early spaced out vibe of The Verve is on show once more, whilst Quirk's vocals sit somewhere between Miles Kane and Blossom's Tom Ogden. This blend builds slowly to deliver a storm of aggression, psyche and pop music. Ocean Flaws have the Echo & The Bunnymen knack of pulling together dangerous and accessible sounds all at once.
Silver Screen
'Silver Screen' feels like an anomaly sonically. It has a great Foals groove to it but lacks the edge of the previous tracks. 'Mojo' and 'Dancing To The Fear' work because of the pop sensibilities clashing with the creative guitar parts. Here however, they feel a bit one dimensional and it's a humbling you wont be expecting.
Nevertheless, these are fledgling days for Ocean Flaws and they have an EP under the belt of significant quality.