BLACK OCEAN "Dogtown"

A Greek rock band with the power and conviction to make you truly believe. Juggling hardcore, epic rock, grunge and country punk, BLACK OCEAN are kinda like Nirvana meets The Lemonheads meets The Meat Puppets meets Fugazi. 'Dogtown' is the debut album, recorded and mixed by Steve Albini and chock full of genuine promise.

While dealing in a musical format that's been done to death over the past decade or so - you know the one, where it all starts quiet and the guitars and vocals are kept turned down low before the inevitable stomp of the distortion pedals and a big chorus kicks in to rock your tiny little world, but there's a gaping chasm between bands who can do it sublimely (The Pixies, Nirvana) and those who get it hideously WRONG (Puddle Of Mudd, Staind) - so its with a massive sigh of relief that BLACK OCEAN slot into that sublime category with striking grace. Of course, it helps that you've got the guy who practically pioneered the whole thing, Steve Albini at the controls - anyone who had anything to do with The Pixies' Surfer Rosa or PJ Harveys' Rid Of Me has got to be a sure sign of quality, surely.

So as, I WANT TO KNOW, rumbles into view things pretty much play out as you'd expect. A deep bass rumble, some sweetly melodic vocals, a tentative drumbeat and then the expected slight pause before the guitars go apeshit, thrashing out those distorted powerchords and the vocals are screamed at full volume, then repeat to end. Yes, it's predictable and yes you've heard it a thousand times before, but when a band gets it right it's a glorious thing - and BLACK OCEAN get it spot on, letting the excitement and passion of their genuine enthusiasm shine through. FIND MY WAY, while riffing on the same principle and repeating the same trick, nevertheless adds layer upon layer of catchy melodies to ensure that this stays with you far longer than its short duration. While a band like The Foo Fighters does this kind of sweetly melodic pop-rock and strips it of any soul or passion with a slick overproduced sheen and way too much money, BLACK OCEAN have that perfect level of raw grit and sweat, managing to sound like they're actually playing right there in the corner of your room threatening to tear a hole in your speakers.

Thankfully, changing tack before getting caught in too much of a rut, BLACK OCEAN, finds the band pumping out heavily distorted surf guitar riffs and riding a fuzzed up bass rumble while STILL THE SAME MAN changes things again, as an avant garde drum stutter slowly gives way to frenetic guitar excursions and Tas evolves his vocals from a Dave Grohl pop-rock howl to a country fried blend of Adam Durwitz and Ryan Adams in the space of a single song. COME BACK TO ME, is the sound of The Kings Of Leon being abused by Nirvana, whereas BLACK AND BLUE takes US college rock and gives it a well deserved punch in the face leaving it bloodied, raw and stunned - replacing the smug self awareness with an injection of rock n roll spirit. With a huge lurching guitar riff and massive drum sound, JESUS WAS A VEGETARIAN, takes you back to early Nirvana and Mudhoney - dynamic pop music that steamrolls over you and leaves you exhausted but happy.

'Dogtown' is the kind of album that lets you believe in the power of passionate rock music again. Echoing the likes of Nirvana's debut record or the early Soundgarden, Tad and Mudhoney material - these are dynamic pop songs with a hardcore edge, replacing slickness for a gritty live feel and rock attitude. BLACK OCEAN have delivered a record that shifts from grimy hardcore menace to a country punk groove with the odd epic rock moment thrown in for good measure, and as such deserves to be heard and loved by as many people as humanly possible.

Further Listening: Nirvana>Bleach (1991>Sub Pop)
Kings Of Leon>Youth And Young Manhood (2003>Hand Me Down Records) The Lemonheads>Creator (1986>Taang! Records) -- Mike Bond