Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: David Coats |
Being signed to premier indie label Arts & Crafts to release their third record is an indication of the respect The Stills have earned from the Canadian music community. An extremely solid debut, followed by a line-up overhaul, a dramatically different though still effective sophomore effort, and a change in labels is a lot for a band to experience in five years. The experience has made them richer, but Oceans Will Rise makes you wonder if it’s necessarily made them better.
The album lacks any real missteps, but it lacks the sure-fire hits of their last records, and also fails to build on those records’ momentum. This is a record full of good moments – some very good – but without any really great ones. The best songs here are ‘Snakecharming The Masses,’ rhythmically and atmospherically unsettling and which benefits from an ambitious arrangement; and rock’n’roll sprint-to-the-finish ‘Rooibos/Palm Wine Drunkard.’ But otherwise, lead single ‘Being Here’ features an arena-sized chorus but a regretfully out-of-place bridge and clichéd key change; ballad ‘Statue Of Sirens’ is a lyrical standout, but the lyrical emotion is missed rhythmically and melodically; ‘Snow In California,’ is solid but unspectacular. There aren’t any technical peaks or valleys, either – the musicianship, songwriting, vocals, production, and lyrics are all fine, but none really stand out in a way that sets the band apart.
Oceans Will Rise is an above-average record in and of itself, but does little to raise the bar on the band’s previous releases. The Stills have spent the past five years at the top of the second-tier of Canadian indie rock, but for all the potential the band has shown in that time, Oceans Will Rise is not going to move them into the heavyweight division. The next record will be the band’s watershed moment – either they finally prove themselves to be one of the best, or they cement their place as the best of the rest.
