This album starts off with the very grimy, sort of grungy “Baby Alligator”. It’s a very scuzzy start, and honestly, it’s even triumphant deep down. And honestly, Ovlov have all the reason to sound triumphant, it’s been years since we’ve heard from them. Instrumentally, all around this is gold. But why are these vocals just rubbing me all sorts of wrong ways? Their cult-status debut was a clash of dozens of genres, while this, on the other hand, sounds like a mashup between Dinosaur Jr. and Built To Spill. And no, that’s really not bad, the guys pull it off. But holy fuck, I just wanted to hear something more energetic. But I can’t complain about all of this track because the harmonies are on point and the songwriting is just fine. With “Half Way Fine”, we’re getting some more spot of guitar work. And if you like scuzzy Rock that sounds like it’s way beyond the point of blowing out speakers, you’ve come to the right place. But why am I still not hearing any real passion or reason to come back to this? Like, this is just so painfully average, and certainly not the clash of styles I loved on first listen. As far as the playing goes, it’s all just about where it should be. But there’s literally no reason for me to return to this. On the other hand, “The Best Of You” actually does grab my ear right off the bat. It’s not exactly as heavy as some of the tracks we’ve heard so far. But this is a sound that all around is just so different for this album. I love the hectic passages that lead up to this very anthemic chorus. Here, Ovlov is playing with tons of urgency and seem to have plenty to say. It’s exciting and sweaty, and Ovlov is instantly back to being a band you really can’t tell what to expect from. Not to mention, we get these unbelievable backing synths that bring in a sort of nostalgic feel. This is one killer tune.
Then we have “Spright” which does bring back the slower, grungier sounds of the intro to this album. But vocally, this track is miles more engaging and just sounds like singer Steve Hartlett is so much more invested in this. It’s in moments like this that reminds you that Ovlov can seriously write incredibly catchy material when they set out to. The vocals are tender and emotional and call back to Emo’s late 90’s glory days. It’s beautiful, but Ovlov continues to bring in plenty of feedback and scuzzy guitars to make sure you’re still with them. But it’s these more upbeat, frantic tracks like “Stick” that I continue to be drawn to so heavily. We get these very exciting passages here, with very robotic drums and one of the more memorable riffs here. But Steve’s very soothing vocals act as a really interesting dynamic shift. It’s catchy, passionate, and Ovlov do seem like they’ve done a complete 180. And trust me, I can’t tell you how happy I am to say that, because when Ovlov gets into their groove their music comes off so much more than a nostalgia act. It ends up coming off as a truly incredible salute to a more simpler time with all of the emotions and passion necessary. All of that, with a focus on guitar that you quite frankly just don’t hear anymore. But then we get “Tru Punk”, which couldn’t be further away from its title. This one has a sort of old-school 90’s Indie sound that almost reminds me of The Dismemberment Plan. It’s not bad though, and once again the real star is Steve’s very emotional performance. Instrumentally, I do sort of miss the scuzz and focus on guitars. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this is still a very guitar driven track, but there’s usually a simplicity to Ovlov’s music that I miss. This is one of the more lukewarm tracks here, and it’s a shame because the last 30 seconds are brilliant.
Thankfully, Ovlov really nails it with the final three tracks here. “Fast G” is the Punk track that I needed to hear right about now. This is a wild, sweaty Garage Punk anthem the likes of which I didn’t expect to hear. This one has enough scuzzy back-feed to impress John Dwyer, as well as easily some of the most memorable guitar riffs of the entire album. Not to mention, Steve, I really didn’t expect you to be able to pull off this true blue freakout performance, but it’s awesome. It’s moments like this that remind me of what I loved so much originally about Ovlov. And all of these solos man? I need a shower. The more upbeat tracks continue to roll on with “Short Morgan”. But what I love about this one, is that it really encapsulates what’s so pure and emotional about some of Steve’s performances. I absolutely love this track in every way, and honestly may be one of the best Punk tracks I’ve heard all year. I love the absolutely soaring chorus that reminds me of Japandroids in their prime, as well as some of these side thoughts Steve seems to be having. Like, if we got an album filled with tracks like this, this would contender for Rock album of the year. The guitars are right in front where they should be, it’s explosive, it’s passionate, and an absolute blast. But after a series of very short, passionate tunes, the last thing I was really expecting to hear was a 6-minute jam. But that’s what we get with “Grab It From The Garden”. It’s very sluggish and filled with tons of tension and vocals that seem like they’re constantly about to break free. There are elements of Post Hardcore and old school Emo. And honestly, I really don’t have any problems with this at all. It sums up a lot of the ideas that Ovlov have brought up here from start to finish and also is just a really great display of emotion from the guys. And no, it didn’t need to be 6-minutes plus, and it’s not the most exciting track here. But man, shout-outs to Ovlov for turning this album around.
Then we have “Spright” which does bring back the slower, grungier sounds of the intro to this album. But vocally, this track is miles more engaging and just sounds like singer Steve Hartlett is so much more invested in this. It’s in moments like this that reminds you that Ovlov can seriously write incredibly catchy material when they set out to. The vocals are tender and emotional and call back to Emo’s late 90’s glory days. It’s beautiful, but Ovlov continues to bring in plenty of feedback and scuzzy guitars to make sure you’re still with them. But it’s these more upbeat, frantic tracks like “Stick” that I continue to be drawn to so heavily. We get these very exciting passages here, with very robotic drums and one of the more memorable riffs here. But Steve’s very soothing vocals act as a really interesting dynamic shift. It’s catchy, passionate, and Ovlov do seem like they’ve done a complete 180. And trust me, I can’t tell you how happy I am to say that, because when Ovlov gets into their groove their music comes off so much more than a nostalgia act. It ends up coming off as a truly incredible salute to a more simpler time with all of the emotions and passion necessary. All of that, with a focus on guitar that you quite frankly just don’t hear anymore. But then we get “Tru Punk”, which couldn’t be further away from its title. This one has a sort of old-school 90’s Indie sound that almost reminds me of The Dismemberment Plan. It’s not bad though, and once again the real star is Steve’s very emotional performance. Instrumentally, I do sort of miss the scuzz and focus on guitars. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this is still a very guitar driven track, but there’s usually a simplicity to Ovlov’s music that I miss. This is one of the more lukewarm tracks here, and it’s a shame because the last 30 seconds are brilliant.
Thankfully, Ovlov really nails it with the final three tracks here. “Fast G” is the Punk track that I needed to hear right about now. This is a wild, sweaty Garage Punk anthem the likes of which I didn’t expect to hear. This one has enough scuzzy back-feed to impress John Dwyer, as well as easily some of the most memorable guitar riffs of the entire album. Not to mention, Steve, I really didn’t expect you to be able to pull off this true blue freakout performance, but it’s awesome. It’s moments like this that remind me of what I loved so much originally about Ovlov. And all of these solos man? I need a shower. The more upbeat tracks continue to roll on with “Short Morgan”. But what I love about this one, is that it really encapsulates what’s so pure and emotional about some of Steve’s performances. I absolutely love this track in every way, and honestly may be one of the best Punk tracks I’ve heard all year. I love the absolutely soaring chorus that reminds me of Japandroids in their prime, as well as some of these side thoughts Steve seems to be having. Like, if we got an album filled with tracks like this, this would contender for Rock album of the year. The guitars are right in front where they should be, it’s explosive, it’s passionate, and an absolute blast. But after a series of very short, passionate tunes, the last thing I was really expecting to hear was a 6-minute jam. But that’s what we get with “Grab It From The Garden”. It’s very sluggish and filled with tons of tension and vocals that seem like they’re constantly about to break free. There are elements of Post Hardcore and old school Emo. And honestly, I really don’t have any problems with this at all. It sums up a lot of the ideas that Ovlov have brought up here from start to finish and also is just a really great display of emotion from the guys. And no, it didn’t need to be 6-minutes plus, and it’s not the most exciting track here. But man, shout-outs to Ovlov for turning this album around.
Rating: 7.9/10
Give A Listen To: “The Best Of You”, “Stick”, “Fast G”, “Short Morgan”
Least Favorite Track: “Half Way Fine”
Genre: Indie Rock / Lo-Fi/ Garage Rock / Emo / Man, about 6 other things honestly
Overall Thoughts: Ovlov return after 6 years with an album that does take a little while to get going, and it’s certainly not perfect. But when this album kicks into high gear, Ovlov remind us of what’s missing in so much of today’s Rock music. Between a heavy focus on a Guitar driven sound and Steve Hartlett’s often ridiculously passionate performances, there is tons to love here. There are elements of old-school Emo and Post Hardcore, and if you like scuzzy guitars you’re in for a treat. But at the end of the day, this is a really solid Indie record that sounds like it was made for a different time. And no, it’s not the exciting clash of styles we were introduced to on Ovlov’s debut 6 years ago. But it’s still wildly passionate and entertaining.
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