The Ocean Party certainly don’t mess around, releasing debut album The Sun Rolled Off The Hills and its follow up within the space of less than a year.
The Melbourne-based band’s sophomore album Social Clubs is a charming, chilled-out collection of undeniably summery pop songs, showing much growth from their first piece of work.
The Ocean Party constantly draws on youthful joy in long summer days throughout their lyrics and overall sound, conjuring up images of carefree days filled with nothing but relaxing and enjoying the heat.
This theme is immediately introduced in opening track ‘On The Floor’, with lead singer Lachlan Denton’s strikingly deep and confident vocals brimming with nostalgia as he describes the “sun beats down upon my head / don’t wish to be anywhere”. The song is a pleasant one, led by duelling guitars and providing the perfect introduction to the album as a whole.
‘Hot Headed’ is a catchy, quintessential pop song in the same vein of much of the album, taking influences from artists as varied as The Smiths, Paul Kelly and The Shins. Although this brand of indie rock has been well covered in recent times, The Ocean Party’s sweet sounds have a resilient, endearing quality filled with young charm.
Social Club’s best moments come when extra elements and layers are subtly added to the simple guitar sounds; a jangly, bright piano in ‘Lay Me Down’ or a third, twangy guitar in first single and stand-out track ‘In A Knot’.
Although being the most melancholic moment of the album, ‘Bored Of It All’, still draws back to Summer, with Denton stating “we’ll drink wine beneath the sun / and make a fire when night falls”, making even the most ardent Winter-loving reviewer excited for the impending warm weather.
In their second album released this year, The Ocean Party deliver serene, soothing vibes, in one of those albums that goes best with lying in the grass, watching the clouds, and slowly drifting away.
