The Album:

Since Oso Oso put out their last full-length in early 2018, people were surprised to hear that they were already throwing down on another full-length, so let’s dive in and see if the band came to play. When first diving into the record, it is apparent that Oso Oso wrote tunes that just calm the soul. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are super emotional and sad; rather, the spectrum that the music is written in, both lyrically and instrumentally, just sooths the soul. When going through this work, it helps the listener reach this place of serenity because of how the record just soars track after track. This is achievable through the fluctuation of instrumentation and how the lyrical line falls in relation to the instrumental line. Additional to that, the band creates a set of groves that makes you feel like you’re listening to elevated, pop punk influenced elevator music, and I think that is such a strong yet ornate crossover that only Oso Oso could pull off. Overall, I am giving this album a 4 out of 5 stars. This album is receiving such a score because the music just puts you in a good mood when you listen to it, and the music itself is just really good- there’s not much more to it than that.

 

Top Tracks:

“dig”, “the view”, and “basking in the glow”

This entire albums gives listeners grooves that are so comforting and enchanting to listen to; however, as one makes their way throughout the work it is apparent that some tracks just hit harder than others: these are those tracks. These selections take the band’s signature cool and simplistic instrumental tactics and use that to allow the lyrics to shine overtop, which creates witty and lyrical lines that will, for sure, stick with the audience. I would give the whole record a spin, but to get a taste of what it has to offer- I’d start here.

 

The Artwork:

 I have to say, just at a glance, I absolutely love this album artwork. The artwork depicts an old window frame with string lights hanging all through it. The image is quite simple, but it is so aesthetically pleasing at the same time. When connecting that to the music that falls on the inside, I would say the two are a perfect match. The music provides serenity and just a calming nature to the audience, and I believe that the album cover drives with a sense of peace when you look at it. Also, a lot of the record runs on the idea of the title “basking in the glow”, and the image on the cover drives with that “glow” by having the various lines of string lights. Overall, I would say that Oso Oso made a perfect duo when pairing the music with the artwork on the cover, which will help boost the success of the album.

*”basking in the glow” was released on August 16^th, 2019 through Triple Crown Records.