OCEAN GROVE - UP IN THE AIR FOREVER
Ocean Grove’s third studio album Up In The Air Forever is another step in the Aussie trio’s unique creative direction in musical artistry.
It is stylistically a continuation of the loud summer anthem Flip Phone Fantasy that they released in 2020, with a plethora of genres like Brit-rock, pop and punk influencing their well-established heavy sound just in time for this year’s dose of sun.
This album shows that despite the setbacks the band have faced in their career, they are still carrying on strong with no signs of slowing down.
The band have stated that this album is created in hope “…to empower the listener with a positive mental attitude (PMA), especially in their darkest hours…” which is very apparent especially from the first half of the album. Up In The Air Forever is, holistically, a message of courage and unity catalysed by its upbeat energy, that as the title suggests, targets the uncertainty of everything in today’s world.
The opening trio of songs kick off the album in an energetic fashion, true to the Ocean Grove reputation. It’s everything you’d expect from them; a light-hearted, dynamic introduction that encourages the listener to match their mood. This full frontal assault into the start of the album features singles the two earlier released singles ‘SEX DOPE GOLD’ and ‘CALI SUN’.
First released single ‘CALI SUN’ is the chaotic summer anthem for this album. Its driving rhythm and energetic melody throughout the song gives it attitude, evoking the positive mental attitude they’re hoping to encourage. It’s upbeat, fun and slightly anarchical, a good way to bridge into ‘BUSTIN’ which is a slight departure from their iconic sound. It is reminiscent of Bring Me The Horizon’s transition from metal into the pop genre, still carrying its tone but in a more accessible way to those outside the metal following.
‘HMU (ft. Lil Aaron)’ is best described as a prelude to the end of ‘Up In The Air Forever’ and a complete change from their previous work. Whilst it matches a jarring change in sound in the same way as ‘Pink Cellphone’ does on Deftone’s Saturday Night Wrist, it somehow fits into their sound. This perfectly represents how Ocean Grove cannot be contained, and their choice to be different and creatively free is what makes this band one to watch.
The second half of the band’s newest release is a change in pace as it brings the listener back to reality from its uplifting beginning, with ‘BORED (ft Dune Rats)’ being the catalyst. It reflects the mental struggles that COVID’s lockdowns caused which could suggest its title and tone. The verses emulate a Nirvana-like moody grunge that accentuates the mood of lyrics like “so let down, holding hands with no one”.
‘NOISE’ and ‘SILENCE’ feels like the bands last message of the album, leaning heavily into their carefree, can-do energy and anti-system attitude as the lyric “I don’t give a shit and I don’t really like you” quite boldly states. They add to a darker second half of the album that reflects both the turmoil the band have been through with the setbacks they’ve experienced and the global pandemic.
Title track, ‘UP IN THE AIR FOREVER’, is a fantastic conclusion to the new release, and serves as the piece of the puzzle that brings the rest of the album together. It’s mix of synth backing, simple yet powerful rhythm and soft vocals, creates a beautiful balance of dreamy hypnotism grounded in a tangible realism, leaving a yearning for more and a positively refreshed outlook on the world.
Ocean Grove have done a great job at showing what makes them so special creatively, living up to the reputation of why they can’t be confined to many of the genres they loosely dabble in. The album feels like you’re getting kicked into the air by the shoe on the album artwork dubbed the ‘Oddworld 3000’, gaining perspective on the world and slowly brought back to reality by the bands underlying heavy roots by the end. Up In The Air Forever is a fresh change in pace to listen to and is an album that deserves to make an impact in this year’s list of releases.
David Barter
★★★★☆