Oopart
"Greetings from Cydonia" CDR
Self-released
Genre: indie rock, surf rock
Aug 14 2008 |
According to Wikipedia, an "OOPArt" is an "out-of-place artifact,"
something of historical interest found in a historically impossible
context. One real-life example is an iron
nail dated before the dawn of man. How this relates to the off-kilter
surf-cum-punk rock sound of this Italian band is up to interpretation,
although this is certainly one of the more intriguing discs I've
received from the country.
The first thing I noticed about the distinctly self-produced
Greetings from Cydonia CDR is its similarity to a couple of bands
on Danish label Crunchy Frog, particularly Tothe International
and Dureforsog. Oopart exude energy, although they are
also competent pop songwriters; the hooks of
"Sad Awake" and "Ticket to Cydonia" take a couple of listens to make
themselves known, but stick when they do. The vocals are sung in
English, but are somewhat accented, which adds a distinct novelty to
the high-octane yell-singing Oopart engage in. The music is a
strange brew of punk fieriness and surf-rock melody,
making for a jumpy amalgam of sounds. A personal favourite
is the absolutely rollicking "Unsolved," which boasts a mesmerizing
chorus and a sublimely spasmodic song structure. Credit
must also be given to the three brief
interludes that segregate the tracks on this record; despite the often
throwaway nature of such musical exercises, Oopart has crafted
true mood-setters with these clips. Oddly enough, the
weakest part of Greetings is the
tiresome opening track, a passionate but too-simple
ode to Japanese girls.
I will admit, given the amateur cover art of this brief CDR
release, I wasn't expecting much from Oopart. However, in
twenty minutes they've convinced me that CDs shouldn't be judged by
their covers and that Italian bands can kick serious ass. Although
Greetings From Cydonia may be too lo-fi for some, Oopart
shows unquestionable potential here and
should not be
ignored.
80%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 8 tracks,
21:30, distributed by
the band,
released 2008] |
