We Are The Ocean – Ark
With three years having passed since the release of Maybe Today Maybe Tomorrow, and the departure of singer Dan Brown, We Are The Ocean move further into area’s yet to be explored with new record Ark.
Released through BMG Rights Management and being represented by a new management company, it feels like a clean slate for the band to create the record they want to make. After touring Maybe Today Maybe Tomorrow, the band hit new peaks of critical acclaim and commercial success securing heavy airtime support from the likes of BBC Radio One, with 2014 seeing them return to Middle Farm Studios to record with Peter Miles (Blitz Kids, The King Blues, Futures).
Speaking to One Fifteen Management, who represent We Are The Ocean at this time, they stated;
“We came to it like a blank canvas,” says Liam. “We set ourselves up to really experiment and try and go somewhere else.”
“We don’t like being comfortable,” adds Alfie. “We like to shake things up and put our personal character into the music. We didn’t want to limit ourselves — we were trying to achieve something different.”
Beginning with lead single ‘Ark’, it’s certainly a bold statement to open a record with, highlighting a stark departure from their previous sound with added strings and a soaring sound not too far from a potential Bond theme. This expansive and live sound follows the record through until ‘Hope You’re Well’ at which point a cleaner and more refined sound is present throughout the record. In terms of the first half, tracks such as ‘I Wanna Be’ and ‘Shere Khan’ sometimes feel they would have benefited from a more concise sound however the impression the band wished to create being one that sounds ‘live’ is obvious. This is no more obvious in the lovely ‘Letter To Michael’, an ode from singer Liam Cromby to his father, aided by simple lyrics and melody which in fact make the track all the more striking. Personal favourites include ‘Wild’ which is the track most reminiscent of their earlier sound whilst ‘There’s Nothing Wrong’ has a 90’s pop feel to it, which leaves you wondering when the rap verse is going to drop.
As a record, Ark sometimes feels to jump too abruptly from styles perhaps damaging the flow of the record from start to finish. However with that being said, each song as a solo entity demonstrates both the musical ability of all members and the vocal talents from Liam that the band has become synonymous with. Whether this record will alienate past fans or engage new one’s will only be seen upon its release however it’s fair to say that this is We Are The Ocean bigger and bolder than you’ve ever heard them before.
Review: Dan Earl