Indie rock
[FOR FREE]
- 5 songs to download
- You name the price (min 0,-)
- You get the link if you register your email address
- Listening recommendations: Purple Strangers, Overwhelming
Impressions
There’s a breathtaking clarity to the sound of indie rock group Octopus, no doubt influenced by its romantic location in the heart of Spain, and as a result, Awakening feels…well, like an awakening. “Leftover Dreams” kicks off this five-track effort with the gentle sound of guitars before launching into a first-rate engine, chugging along through sincere harmonies, instrumental solos, and a closing section that tiptoes out at half-tempo—then roars back to life for one last go of the chorus. Though the melodies are a bit too wispy to hold onto, the band keeps a steady momentum that, like the rise and fall of swells of ocean waves, lulls you into a sense of relaxation. Octopus loses little of that momentum throughout, whether on the emo-tinged country ballad “Purple Strangers” (featuring some truly gorgeous piano work) or on the aptly-titled “Overwhelming,” a barren little folk ditty whose hushed verses belie a surprisingly bitter chorus; even when it overstays its welcome a little, the band displays a mastery of progression, changing trajectory just when you’re tempted to look away. Its best effort here is the upbeat, jazzy “Best Of All,” which begins as an unassuming acoustic-guitar session before the drums kick in and the saxophone makes a welcome entrance—Octopus, to its credit, blends together the track’s various influences spotlessly, giving the natural pathos of the brass instrumentation an equal match in the bleeding-heart sincerity of the vocalist. By the time “Times Like These Are Over” arrives to close out Awakening with a rambunctious bang, it’s abundantly evident that, like an octopus, this band has plenty of legs, and on this top-notch effort, it stretches them out in tons of intriguing—and promising—directions.
Great Band
ReplyDelete