“Consume the flames in which we bathe in.“
The coupling of shoegaze with strains of hardcore has been a practice for several years. Arguably the rupture point was when hardcore zealots Hundredth made the switch with the impeccable album RARE and have not looked back since. It is perhaps an indication that the meaning of “heavy” is a broader spectrum that many would consider, with the weighty reverbs common in shoegaze pleasing to those who indulge in hardcore et al. A range of acts have taken their shot on this fusion, from Graywave and their dark heavy atomsphere, ASkySoBlack with their timbre tones and now Oversize with their 90s inspired grunge-y take, that captures the ear in many ways on their latest effort Vital Signs.
As Vital Signs strolls through its opening tracks, in the these early motions it does take some moments for the record to build into itself. When it reaches “Fall Apart” and “Something Clean“, it begins to fully showcase the subtle yet gorgeous sound that Oversize have pieced together. The gentle chord plucks that eloquently elevate these tracks are ever so subtle at times, thus it may take a few spins to fully appreciate. On “Something Clean“, Oversize lean into this fully – the guitars here have a porcelain quality, exuding fragility and vulnerability. You’ll yearn to return to the track on repeat listens, and in time should become a quiet favourite for many.
Interwoven within this are Oversize taking on heavier cuts. The best example comes through “The Incline” having just teased earlier on the album with “Are You With Me“. Grunge-style riffs carve their way through the track, and in the right venue they will bounce off the walls with their layered and heavy presence. Later track “Vacant” explores this side of Oversize too, yet with a tinge of that expansive sound on the chorus that Teenage Wrist have perfected on their recent albums. While Vital Signs at times does perhaps struggle to fully differentiate itself across tracks, what they do with “Vacant” does give a clearer moment to full hang onto.
Vital Signs‘ most impressive aspect, and what will make it standout from its counterparts this year, is the vocal performance from Sam McCauley. It has a velvety quality to it, with expansive nature that fills and commands tracks. On “Salt” this is complimented by Kamtin Mohager of Heavenward whose presence further saturates the soundscape in a pleasing way. The unique tone of McCauley‘s voice provides that distinct nature, and although the high points of Vital Signs are few and far between, the vocals are enough to make it consistently compelling.
The closer “Vital Signs” does shake the record into life for one last time. A grandiose track of sorts, each element mentioned does turn itself up a notch – the guitar work captures the ear with ease as it layers itself over the grooves of the drums, with a air-y and whirling manner. It is a shame that there aren’t more cuts like this across the album, where all the best qualities of the band align and there are very tangible “moments” where Vital Signs feels fully realised.
There is little doubt that Oversize will make a success of Vital Signs. There is enough quality here that gives it a certain sheen, and should reliably see them become a staple of the genre in time. Not every track is memorable but “Something Clean“, “Salt” and “Vital Signs” are exemplary standouts across its run-time. With each listen the record unveils something further to ear which ought to endear it further with time. While it does perhaps not go fully through the gears until its final moments, there is still much to simply enjoy on Vital Signs.
7/10
Vital Signs is out today, February 28th, and can be pre-ordered here.