“Alone and desperate with nothing to say.”
Oakman is what you get when you mix Paramore’s After Laughter with subtle CHVRCHES influences. Upbeat & joyous in tone yet still possessing some dark undertones. Pop rock guitar melodies like the former and smooth, uplifting synths like the latter, Oakman might be onto something here. While the influences are strong, SCP (short for Sugar Coated Pill) is a beast of its own. The songwriting and sound of the France based trio has significantly improved. They have further refined their sound to truly make it definitive to the band.
Drip feeding a song from SCP over the past few months is a great way to introduce listeners to their evolution. Each song is vivid in soundscapes and streamlines the finely tuned shifts in sound from song to song. “Night” and “SCP” feature catchy rock guitar melodies interwoven with synths that put the riffs forward. On the other hand, “Murder” and “Fantasy” are the complete opposite to the aforementioned pair of songs. The guitars take a backdrop while the synths get their time to shine. All of them accompanied by melancholic lyrics create a perfect sense yet comfort in darkness.
While I generally dislike the lone ballad tossed in between songs that have great momentum going on, “Lucky Charm” has made me reconsider. While not simply a ballad, it builds up into a blissful and dreamy wave of synths that leaves a sugary aftertaste. Final track “All The Way Up” is easily a standout. Tying a ribbon around the entire package that is SCP, and the only uplifting song from a lyrical standpoint, it sums the album up perfectly. Upbeat, hopeful and leaving me wanting more.
As the final song closes off, the lyrics “Making my way, all the way up” echo out. The sheer quality of this EP has solidified that Oakman are definitely headed for the top. Definitely not an easy path to tread, their music is a gust of wind strong enough to carry them up and away. They might just become the next big thing should they keep on releasing more music.
8.5/10
SCP is out this Friday via Rude Records and you can pre-order it here.