Oceanographer

Oceanographer’s three-track ep Deep Sea Diver is an ideal artifact. It showcases the musicians’ talent and asserts a unique perspective on their genre (some might call it indie folk, but to my ears it leans more commercial americana). It also reveals tantalizing bits of relatable personality, on the verge of that hard-to-define quality of “persona.” Most important for an early release, Deep Sea Diver leaves room to imagine how this band will sound in the future.

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The instrumentation is traditional for the folk/americana set: acoustic guitars with light electric accompaniment, smooth bass and dry drums, some pedal steel for atmosphere. There are some additional production flourishes (whooshes of water to underscore the band’s name). But Oceanographer bring a few attributes that set it apart from tradition. At times during opener and title track “Deep Sea Diver” the electric guitar goes full fuzz – a rare move for either folk or Americana. While the distortion doesn’t quite feel natural in the mix, the intention behind it makes sense and gives their sound an edge. 

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The other main distinction between this group and similar offerings is the strength of the vocal delivery. Most indie-folk leans toward introverted narrators, whisper-singing their delicate melodies a-las Adrienne Lenker. Most Americana favors a drawled-out humility, a-las Waxahatchee. Oceanographer goes full-throated bravado. These are star of the show vocals, backed up by the chops to pull it off. Their sound isn’t dated by any means, but I get Lilith Fair vibes at times when the vocal melodies really soar. If anything, this offers a broader appeal than the niche audiences of indie darlings.

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That said, Oceanographer maintains certain touchpoints with said darlings as well. Second track “Moonlight,” in particular, bears an intimacy and clever wordplay while engaging the zeitgeist. The listener is helpless to get swept up in its narrative – a truly impressive bit of songwriting. The ep closes with the emotional waltz of Midwestern Cowboy (shout out to the bass shredding in the bridge) highlighting the cathartic foundations of their music.

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Deep Sea Diver is a clear showcase of Oceanographer’s talent and style. For a band’s first step, these three songs suggest a long and rewarding journey to come, for themselves and their listeners alike.