Release Date: 21/08/20
Record Label: Wild Thing Records
For Fans Of: The Contortionist, Dead Letter Circus, Anathema
The past year has certainly been interesting to say the least and has, unsurprisingly, left everyone in a semi-permanent state of hysteria. Fortunately, Glass Ocean are here to smash through all the bullshit with their hard-hitting, trance-inducing approach to progressive rock. Having already established an adoring audience in their native Australia, The Remnants of Losing Yourself in Someone Else could be the release that sees the Aussie rockers captivate an audience on a global scale.
The album as a whole puts a refreshing twist on more conventional rock albums by putting a strong focus on the melodic elements in order to piece together finely crafted instrumental layers that complement frontman Tobias Atkins’ vocals perfectly. The vocals themselves are produced in a way that gives them an interesting layered texture and although it’s certainly unique, the dual-octave voices start feeling slightly tedious by the latter stages of the album and would perhaps be more exciting if used more sparingly – that said, the singer’s performances are faultless, particularly on ‘Voyage’ and ‘Soul Slumber’. The Remnants of Losing Yourself in Someone Else is definitely a record built around big atmospheric sounds and while Glass Ocean show their versatility with musically complex songs like ‘A Dream From Which I May Not Wake’ and punchier, more “pop” orientated tracks like ‘Pride,’ the album’s dramatic conclusion is one of the standout moments. Album-closer ‘Almaida’ strips the Glass Ocean sound to its most simplistic form; the end result being a hard-hitting tune with soaring breakdowns that truly shows the full potential of the Australian five-piece.
With a sound ready-made for some of the world’s biggest festivals, The Remnants of Losing Yourself in Someone Else pulls together fat riffs, intricate melodies and heartfelt lyricism in a way that feels both incredibly intimate while still providing a huge sound. There’s a lot to like about this record and the subtle nuances found in each song means there’s always something new to discover with every listen.
The album’s lead single, ‘Beyond Us,’ is the best song on the album by far and really encapsulates everything that Glass Ocean are as a band. Featuring profound lyricism, a catchy vocal melody and an assortment of stimulating instrumental mastery, the track is taken to new heights with the half-time choruses delivering a sensationally heavy ambience that should definitely be utilised more throughout the rest of the album.
The only downfall to an otherwise great debut album is that it all feels slightly too one-dimensional. The tones and dynamics never really change from start to finish and although Glass Ocean have done a tremendous job in stretching their sound as far as it could seemingly be stretched, The Remnants of Losing Yourself in Someone Else does feel a little flat in places. All in all, this is a really solid album that provides a few moments of magic scattered throughout the record and highlights Glass Ocean as a definite band to watch out for should they build further on the standout moments of the record.
Rating – 6/10
Recommended Tracks – ‘Beyond Us’, ‘Almaida’