Album review

Oskar

LP:2

added: 29 Jun 2009 // release date: 22 Jun 2009 // label: Incarnation
reviewer: Andy Snipper

Something about this album, the combination of peace and shimmering soundscapes of ‘Paper Cuts’ morphing into the solitude and angst of ‘Eden’ and the ‘finger to the lips’ tiptoeing of ‘Reichenbach Falls’ maybe, is very disturbing and something – maybe the same elements – is very fine.

At low levels the music sounds simple and, while it is never uncomplicated, there is little indication of the terrors and passions that come out when the levels are turned up and the ‘thing’ that is Oskar is revealed in all its glory. And it is glorious.

‘Some Song’ begins with Sharon Smith describing the action from either an avante garde stage piece or ‘Behind The Green Door’ and as the intensity of the music builds and her dream is made clear to us the industrial guitars and skittering drums overpower the narrator and force us to look deeper into the music to pierce the gloom and understand the peace and evenness of her intonation.
‘Printer Tzara’ for some reason has me in mind of Dresden china with the electronic samples playing outside the boundaries of the ‘proper’ music in the same way that the colours on Dresden pottery almost seem to be extras but in fact are a crucial part of the look.

The music has touches of folk. Jazz and even avante/classical and the combined elements of acoustic instruments and electronica allows the trio to make music that both touches and diverts. This gives it the capacity to make your mind wander, to examine just what you are thinking as well as what you are listening to – not always what you want from music but sometimes very cathartic and rewarding.

Few artists can produce music of such variety and complex layering without creating a lightweight ‘dilettante’ effort and similarly there are very few albums that have you hanging on, waiting for the next twist or veering direction.
Oskar are a depiction of the way forward for modern, intelligent music; they reward effort and they have created something that, in parts, is really wonderful.

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