Review Summary: Salt Lake City post-hardcore newcomers tread in their forefather's footsteps while simultaneously bringing a new noise to the aging genre.
I am the Ocean embody the term “post-hardcore.” Practically every facet of the sub-subgenre is present in the Salt Lake City, UT quintet’s sound; lengthy-ish tracks, odd song titles (“Nobody Calls Me Chicken” is a winner), screamed/sung vocals, and shifting tempos coupled with faux-metallic riffs are all present in some form or another on …And Your City Needs Swallowing. Yet somehow, out of all these elements, I am the Ocean manage to maintain originality throughout most of their debut outing.
At times, the new kids bring to mind the spazzy freakouts of genre legends At the Drive-In, while seconds later they’re copping the smooth, repetitious jams of post-metal giants Isis, all with enough hooks and pop sensibility to compete with radio rockers Chevelle and even 30 Seconds to Mars (?). This seemingly disparate combination of styles truly shines on the six and-a-half minute album opener, “Chasing Bears and Reading Scriptures,” wherein a short strummed intro gives way to a catchy central riff, harsh yet palatable vocals, and numerous Botch-esque breakdowns; all, of course, with heaps of melody.
Unfortunately for I am the Ocean, all this genre splicing eventually leads to a flood (pun heavily intended) of chaotic – and oftentimes confusing – song structures, an aspect of their sound that becomes abundantly clear after the surprisingly fluid mid-album instrumental break “A Going Under.” The track ebbs and flows along at a relaxed pace, allowing the listener to catch his/her breath before the next wave (last one, I promise) of massive riffs and frenetic drumming. Though said chaos does have its moments, the band seems to wander during the latter half of the disc, as though if staring at the plethora of stylistic options in front of them like a kid at a candy shop with only a dollar to spend. It is this occasionally random grab bag of influences that ultimately holds the album back just enough from being the sleeper debut of the year.
