Following on from their early limited EP tape releases and subsequent self-titled compilation for Paisley Shirt Records (tape) and Dandy Boy Records (vinyl) back in 2021, Oakland noise-pop trio Blue Ocean have returned with news of their first long player.
Fertile State is the lead single and title track from the bands debut album coming soon via Slumberland Records, and for me it serves as a timely reminder of how dangerous guitar music can still be. It isn’t the lyrics or melodies that pull me into Blue Ocean’s orbit here, but the sound, the sound is everything.
As soon as you think you have this tune figured out, it shifts another gear. Guitars and electronics veer from punk rock to space rock in a heartbeat, with rhythms set to the tightest kind of loose propelling us towards the sun. I suppose there’s elements of shoegaze to be found in its relentless shuffle, but again that label doesn’t really fit when the whole thing is pointing so beautifully skyward.
I’m sure there are a ton of cool bands from the past and present that I could use as a vague reference point here but I prefer to focus on what Fertile State doesn’t sound like. This isn’t easy listening, there isn’t a hook to snare you or any of the usual comforts of the familiar. With this release, Blue Ocean take the basic fundamentals of indie rock and twist them into infinite shapes and possibilities. Essential.
Pre-order now via Slumberland Records
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