Glass OceanThe Remnants of Losing Yourself in Someone Else

Distinct, hypnotic, and sensual in their storytelling–Glass Ocean tick all the boxes for an interesting and fast-rising prog-rock band in their debut album, The Remnants of Losing Yourself in Someone Else.

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Plenty of trance-inducing grooves here, accompanied by billowing textures of futuristic synth and punchy guitars. Glass Ocean are nothing if not adept at sensually swaying to and fro between elements of other genres outside of prog-rock, and carry themselves with a tantalising (albeit crude) theatricality.

The deep, sultry vocal delivery from Tobias Atkins is remarkably soothing, though. Atkins’ narrative, told with compelling lyrics, captivates and doesn’t sway from ideas of introspection–but what it’s lacking sonically is the full experience of emotional turmoil. To truly appreciate the calibre of Glass Ocean’s talent and the ultimate in morose meaning, a twist, a sudden turn into a raging depth that Glass Ocean, by demonstration in this release, are inherently capable of but just don’t deliver.

Glass Ocean demonstrate their song writing capabilities to be truly sensational, captivating and typical of the genre.

All signs point to impressive but Glass Ocean leads you down the road of caution. There’s a lot of waiting–waiting for a creative sonic point to be made, waiting to be dazzled. The Remnants of Losing Yourself in Someone Else is a rich tapestry of sound and experience, but at times its sprawling soundscapes are undefinable, lacking in surprise and astonishment. If a relaxed and pensive musical experience is your thing, you are set, however. But if your standards for a compelling exploration in sound are a little higher, perhaps wait and see what Glass Ocean come up with on their next album. 

In the debut release, however, Glass Ocean demonstrate their song writing capabilities to be truly sensational, captivating and typical of the genre. But a little aggression, a swell, anything, would go a long way. It’s all well and good to be tender and thoughtful but when you blatantly hear a band teetering on the edge of colossal potential, you don’t want to have to wait for the POW!

STANDOUT TRACKS: Asteroid Blue, Divide, Pride
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