Ocean Flaws – Spirit Level

Essex outfit Ocean Flaws returned last month with their latest single ‘Spirit Level’. The DIY outfit had great success with their previous offering ‘Deep Sea Dreaming’, can they kick on?

This is pop music at its finest. Instantaneous? Check. Melodic? Check. Furthermore, like all the great top ten hits from the UK, it slips darker themes under the radar. Your parents will unknowingly singalong, while younger generations think about the descending love affair at play.

Bristling with the alt-pop of Blossoms, they intertwine sublimely eerie synths and heaven-sent vocals to provide a serious contender for single of the year. Callum Quirk’s vocals pay homage to Tom Ogden but never rehash. Quirk possesses a huskier devilment which, allows him to insinuate something more sinister.

‘Spirit Level’ was almost scuppered by lockdown one back in March. Thankfully, Ocean Flaws had the desire to power on and deliver a serious contender for single of the year.

Ocean Flaws - 20:22

What a remarkable step up in class from one of 2016's most promising bands. Previously, they have touched upon The Verve circa ‘Storm In Heaven’ and ‘A Northern Soul’ but, here, they take the genius of Nick McCabe and spliced it with their own magic.  

The throbbing riff that pulsates throughout is a demented heartbeat in this slow building epic. It could, trip along like this and be fine but, the addition of Olivia Russell on dual vocals allows them to expand their sound monstrously.

It would be remiss not to mention the insatiable bugged out psyche via rock n roll solo in this song. As brilliant as Tame Impala have been in the past decade, this solo is serving notice on them and all prog-psyche, it’s time for psyche to get dangerous once more.