Search - Julie Ocean :: Long Gone and Nearly There

Great debut

Barney | Hermosa Beach, CA | 05/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After reading a bunch of glowing reviews of this album, I was intrigued enough to set about securing an "advance copy." I'm glad I did because this album rules. It's chock full of impossibly uptempo songs with hooks galore and clever (but not in a "Hey, check me out, I'm smart" way) lyrics. The consensus seems to be that this is power pop, but I disagree. Power pop, to me, is stuff like 20/20 or Shoes, bands that had one or two good songs but made unlistenable albums full of boring, mid-tempo love songs with 82 guitar overdubs per track and really treacly vocals. Julie Ocean have a lot more in common with punk rock than power pop (which makes sense, given that their drummer was in Swiz). The way these two minute songs keep coming at you relentlessly reminds me of The Ramones or Buzzcocks rather than Badfinger. What sets "Long Gone and Nearly There" apart from your average Ramones retread, however, are the complex harmonies and intricate lead guitar lines. The vaguely Husker Du-ish (circa "Zen Arcade") "Ten Lonely Words" has been stuck in my head for a week and doesn't show signs of leaving any time soon. The rest of the bunch are equally good. "Number One Song" fuses Byrdsian harmonies with crashing guitars. Think The Records meets Ride. Track three, "My Revenge" with its irresistible "ooh, ooh, oohs" could be a hit with the mall punks if Julie Ocean weren't so long in the tooth. "At the Appointed Hour" sounds like The Monkees on crystal meth. Track five, "Here Comes Danny" sticks out like a sore thumb here due to its five-minute length. Amazingly, it never drags, starting out with a cool, tremolo guitar part before launching into a catchy Tom Robinson Band-esque exploration of the ups and downs of a same-sex romance. "Bright Idea" resumes the uptempo assault and throws in some nice carnival-style organ as well. Track seven, "Complications" might just be my favorite song on here. The music is nice and smooth and the harmonies are gorgeous and then, all of a sudden, it takes a hard left turn into a Who-like bridge before finishing out the song by reprising the sweet-sounding intro. "Ebb & Flow" is another winner, marrying driving punk rock with nearly falsetto vocals. As an added bonus, the lyrics name check the first three Wire albums. Track nine, "There's A Place" sounds like The Beatles and lulls the listener into a state of relaxation that is quickly disrupted by the album's closer, "Looking At Me/Looking At You," which is pure, melodic punk rock. Order it already."

One of 08's best

Scott Waldon | benicia, ca United States | 06/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'd probably go 5 stars except it's only 25 minutes long and there are 2 songs I don't particularly care for. However, the rest; they nailed it. Call it what you wish; power punk pop for me. Echoes of Buzzcocks, Undertones abound but they make it their own. Slightly less caustic than the Buzzcocks, a bit more melodic. Can't miss tracks include #1 Song, Here Comes Danny, Complications, and Looking At Me. Thanks guys; great cover art too, and well chosen name (from a great, and more mellow Undertones tune). Looking forward to what comes next."