Review Summary: April showers bring May flowers
My first experience with the Cincinnati, Ohio-based band The Ophelias was their 2018 effort
Almost . Ultimately, my impression of that album rendered the title appropriate, with the band clearly demonstrating a strong sound and ample talent, but nonetheless falling a bit short in creating a cohesive and consistent listen.
Crocus , as the follow-up full length, sees the band remedy these issues, even as it retains some flaws. The end result is an album which will likely be enjoyable to most listeners with any interest in modern indie music.
Perhaps the easiest way to characterize the album’s sound and atmosphere is to note that
Crocus very much takes after its spring-flowering namesake. The songs here, mostly brief in duration, adhere to a folk-leaning indie pop sound, often floating effervescently upon dreamy layers of strings. The overwhelming sense while listening is to evoke the associations of the vernal season: new shoots sprouting up, warmer weather returning, and a general psychological shift as one shakes off a long cold winter. There’s definitely some irony in this as the record’s late September release date sees the band’s home country (and most of their fans) sliding into the colder days of autumn, but given the state of the world there’s no doubt that some hopeful-sounding tunes won’t suffer from a lack of demand.
As is often the case with music, the sunny and bright vibes of the instrumentation here don’t always carry over to the lyrics. The overriding theme of the lyrics on
Crocus are the struggle to get over a crushing breakup, frequently mixing resolution, sadness, and anger. Ultimately, this feels like a “moving on” record, even as it dabbles in backwards-looking moments. There are also some more or less psychedelic meanderings (as evidenced on highlight track “Spirit Sent”) and a fair share of spiritual and religious references, a la tracks entitled “Biblical Names” and “Becoming A Nun”.
Crocus is an album which is well-executed on all fronts, even as none of the tracks here remotely approach classic status. As a steady and reliable listen ensconced in an approachable cocktail of dreamy indie pop infused with folk and an occasional hint of punk, I expect this record to significantly raise The Ophelias’ profile (and deservedly so). A feature from Julien Baker on one of the record’s stronger offerings, “Neil Young On High”, should only further help their cause.
Crocus may not blow you away, but it is a competent set of emotionally-resonant tunes which, in the right mood, might be even more. If nothing else, I look forward to breaking this album out when the sun sneaks through the clouds and the snow begins to melt in March 2022.
