By the time Ocean Colour Scene released their debut album in 1992, they
were already considered has-beens. The band had formed during the height
of Madchester, but they never released their first album until the scene
was already dead, which left them without a following. But between their
debut and their second album, 1996's Moseley Shoals, a strange thing happened
-- the band was taken under the wings of two of Britain's biggest pop
stars, Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher. The band suddenly catapulted back
into the spotlight because of their superstar connections, but the music
actually deserved the attention. Ocean Colour Scene had spent the time
between their two albums improving their sound. On Moseley Shoals, they
are looser, funkier, and have a strong, organic R&B vibe that was
inherited from the Small Faces and Weller's solo recordings. They sprinkle
Beatlesque and Stonesy flourishes throughout the album, as well as the
odd prog-rock flair, adding an even more eclectic flavor to their traditionalist
pop/rock. Ocean Colour Scene is still developing their songwriting skills
-- the sound is more impressive than the songs throughout Moseley Shoals
-- but their second album is an unexpectedly enjoyable record.
(by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG) |