Album Review: We Are The Ocean - 'Go Now And Live'

Essex based band, We Are The Ocean's second album 'Go Now And Live,' is nothing like what I had initially expected. Based on their impressive post-hardcore debut 'Cutting Our Teeth,' the new record is a drastic change in style, and not for the better.

Opting for alternative rock that is heading towards something akin to Nickleback instead of, well, something good, the band has played it fairly safe with their new tunes and as a result, the record is boring.

Opening track "Trouble Is Temporary, Time Is Tonic," sounds like it would sit nicely on a Jet record, with guitars and vocals channeling classic rock with a straight forward drum beat in accompaniment. The two singles, "The Waiting Room" and "Run Away," are a slight improvement showing off the vocal dynamics of Dan Brown and Liam Croomby which are quite unique when paired together. Croomby has the more "punk rock" voice of the two which saves the music from being too commercial however it is Brown's smooth voice that occupies the majority of the record.

One of the standouts is "Trials And Tribulations," sounds like Anberlin, a good example of accessible rock music that still has some substance to it, and features some catchy melodies and great dynamics. Things become a little more rock n' roll as the guitar riffs take over in "Overtime Is A Crime" before the pounding pace of Godspeed, this mid-section made enjoyable thanks to Croomby's rough vocals and the dirty sounding bass lines.

The end of the record mellows out with the, inspirational sounding attempt that is "Now And Then" and the wispy introduction of "Follow What You Need." The album ends with "Before I Die," another fairly standard rock song which shines in its delay drenched verses and plateaus in its chorus.

It's doubtful that those who enjoyed the band's first record will like 'Go Now And Live,' due to its vastly different sound. If you are going to make radio friendly rock music, at least make the songs disgustingly catchy so that people will not be able to resist them.

1. Trouble is Temporary, Time Is Tonic
2. What It Feels Like
3. The Waiting Room
4. Runaway
5. Trials and Tribulations
6. Overtime Is A Crime
7. Godspeed
8. Now & Then
9. Follow What You Need
10. Before I Die