O.A.R.

O.A.R.
"ALL SIDES"
(Atlantic, 2008)


"Something Coming Over"


I've never cared much for "jam bands" (as broad a musical taste as I like to think I have, I mostly prefer my songs in easily digestible, three- to four-minute pieces with a fairly clear verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure), and from what I gather, New Englanders O.A.R. fit firmly into that category before their 2005 mainstream breakthrough album, "Stories Of a Stranger". So it's no surprise that they flew well under my radar until I fell victim to that über-catchy nugget of ear candy known as "Wonderful Day" -- complete with a saxophone which, for an '80s kid like me, is kind-of hard to resist.

At the risk of alienating their old-school fan base, O.A.R. is forging ahead with the formula that made their previous album a success, and I for one am liking this album even more. Marc Roberge's resounding vocals are still fantastic, and the band arrangements are as tight as ever. Their reggae and ska influences can still be heard in several of the songs, but they also do a fine power ballad ("Dinner Last Night"), a simply beautiful acoustic number ("The Gift"), and a swaggering rocker ("Living In The End") that sounds like a cross between Bon Jovi and Creedence Clearwater Revival. There are the obligatory radio-friendly hooks ("Try Me" and first single "Shattered"), but they also indulge in the occasional spread-out tracks ("Whatever Happened", "War Song") that let them strut their stuff. This album truly does show "All Sides" of this fine band, so it's hard to get bored listening to it.

I always wonder how groups like The Dave Matthews Band approach the decision to abandon (whether temporarily or permanently) their meandering, improv-heavy style for a more compact, radio-friendly sound. It's undoubtedly a double-edged sword, as they're sure to lose plenty of their traditionalist fans in a bid to win over new ones -- not that gaining popularity or sales is necessarily their goal. But in the case of O.A.R., it's worked with this guy; I've found a new band to love. In fact, the more I read about their 2003 album "In Between Now And Then", it doesn't appear to be as jam-bandy as I assumed it was, so I'll probably be checking it out, too...!