Well, it’s nice to see Ocean Grove showing some love to some classic PlayStation platformers! That’s not even entirely a joke, either; you can imagine this band would jump at the chance to soundtrack the adventures of dear old Abe. Ocean Grove have always prided themselves as a quirky bunch, so much so that ‘oddworld’ has been the term they’ve chosen to represent the mishmash of ‘90s ephemera that constitutes their sound. It’s just now they’re choosing to immortalise it as a proper album title unto itself.
…maybe at a bit of an inopportune moment, considering this is one of their less odd albums. That’s not to an unidentifiable degree, though, nor is it at a point where Ocean Grove are creatively undermining themselves. For Ocean Grove’s shortest album, it’s also their most comprehensive, as grunge, nu-metal, alt-rock, hip-hop and whatever other ‘90s bric-a-brac they care to pilfer are effectively seamless now. Perhaps, then, this is a rejigging of what ‘oddworld’ is supposed to be—a healthier, more digestible blend of everything that put Ocean Grove on the map, ready to stand as its own thing.
It’s also worth noting that they’ve tried similar in the past, notably on 2022’s Up In The Air Forever with results that were more inconsistent and bricked-out than indicative of a free genre-pile. Oddworld, then, seems like a revision of that. It’s greatly slimmed back—ten tracks at about 25 minutes, two of which are interludes—while making seemingly conscious decisions to redress various balances across the board. It’s the best way for Ocean Grove to get everything they want out there, while avoiding clutter or some of their more awkward transitional thunks. They’re able to mine enough similarities between nu-metal and grunge to have them as firm bases, before the colour and flexibility is worked in from there. From the opening pair proper, Cell Division and Fly Away, you can definitely feel where the thesis statement is angled towards—dense songs with head-caving grooves wherever you turn, and a sprinkling of versatility that’s kept faint but notable in effect.
The improvements made end up impressively meticulous, such is how they rarely leap out in any singular instance. For a band like this, for whom an early burst of success and adulation has yet to be replicated, it’s genuinely promising to see how Ocean Grove’s forward movement has been characterised by consistent growth. None of Oddworld seems like the product of total course correction; every moment is exactly what its creators have always been. It’s just now hitting a lot stronger than it has in a little while, thanks to some obvious tinkering and balancing. Choruses now have the necessary clarity around their brawn like on Stunner and My Disaster, or a fidgety pop gloss in the case of Raindrop. Elsewhere, there are clearer pivots to Deftones-esque blurriness on My Disaster and slab-cracking rap-rock on OTP, equally coloured with just as much vibrance as they need.
Furthermore, there’s enough going on with Ocean Grove from this that they’re not as tied to an identity of being a collage of influences. They still do—and as long as they give the impression of being just as comfortable in Korn-style trackies as grungy tartans or Britpop parkas, they likely always will—but on Oddworld, it isn’t dangling as closely in your face. You could even argue that this is as close to the perceived ‘oddworld’ ideal as they’ve come, now that it’s been consolidated like this. And it goes without saying that something to that effect can really revitalise a band’s direction. It’s exactly what’s going on here, in fact. On a short, punchy body of work that’s more certain of itself than it’s felt in a while, there’s a lot in there that can lift a band up.
Enough, certainly, to ignore writing that doesn’t exactly leap off the page, or how you’d be hard-pressed to pick up on a standout performance from anyone involved. As hang-ups, they’re a lot less severe than they’d be on an overall weaker album; they were just as valid on previous Ocean Grove albums. Oddworld, then, is something of a refresh, and the most crucial one this band have had since their debut The Rhapsody Tapes in 2017. It’s probably their best since that album, even, a collection of beats and ideas ensconced in Ocean Grove’s typical nostalgic blanket, but strung together in undeniably robust form. Even if that all means it’s not the oddest that their world has ever been, it’s worth visiting more now than it’s been for years.
For fans of: Deftones, Loathe, Moodring
‘Oddworld’ by Ocean Grove is released on 22nd October on Sharptone Records.
Words by Luke Nuttall
