Review Summary: An ethereal experience that keeps you dreamily hooked all the way through.
"Cerulean" gets so many things right with its twelve tracks which all have extremely ethereal melodies, and perfectly placed drum work and driving bass, everything falls in place perfectly and the produced sound is something to behold.
The album starts off with "Breezing Up" which begins with a fading in constantly working drum where from there the ethereal guitar work and supporting bass come in. The drums continue on their way while the bass plucks along and the majestic guitar sounds are what give this song (and most of the album) it's voice, and it gives a good image of what the rest of the album's sounds are going to sound like. The lyrics are also beautifully rehearsed and don't hinder the song at all.
Breezing Up: 4.5/5
Up next is "Cerulean" symmetrically named after the album title. The track starts off with repeating guitar work which then is joined by a slow-starting bass and driving hi-hat hits. The guitar in the background of the song just makes me repeatedly think of icebergs for some odd reason, just calmly floating in water, and with the bass work and drumming it sets the atmosphere for the rest of the song. Not only does the guitar make me think of icebergs, but the lyrics with the lead singer David Schelzel repeating throughout the track: "Blue skies come down on me" Then again, the track is titled Cerulean.
Cerulean: 4/5
The next track "Marigold" is one of my least favorite on the album, the simple lyrics and decreased majesty on the guitar kind of ruined it for me, but nonetheless, a good track.
Marigold: 3/5
The next track is "A Separate Reality" which is another one of my least favorite tracks on the album since overall it is sort of forgettable. The melody doesn't really stick with me, but when listening it is a good track.
A Separate Reality: 3.5/5
Then it's "Mercury" a track which starts in with a nicely curving melody and guitar work and continues on with it. The lyrics on this one are what I remember most from the track, they work with the melody pretty well and it just makes the track all the more enjoyable.
Mercury: 4/5
The next track is my second favorite track on the album, it's "Questions of Travel". This track is fantastic in how the guitars flow throughout the song and it keeps your attention all the way through. It just creates such a ethereal soundscape that I absolutely adore. Not only that, but the lyrics are pretty awesome too.
Questions of Travel: 5/5
Next is "When Life Was Easy" another great track with its guitar start up and the constantly jingling sleigh sounding bells in the background. I swear this album was made to create an atmosphere of water and ice and winter, and this song does a good job of doing that. Great song, loving the drums and guitar most on this one.
When Life Was Easy: 4/5
The next track is strangely R.E.M. sounding it's; "The Planetarium Scene". The way it starts up with it's guitar work sounds slightly similar to R.E.M., not that there's anything wrong with that, it actually helps the song since it continues to create its wintery atmosphere.
The Planetarium Scene: 3.5/5
The next track is true to its name. "Falling Through the Ice" seriously sounds like you're falling through ice and being engulfed in icy cold water. Even though it's a filler track I feel it deserves a rating since it has an amazing sounding atmosphere.
Falling Through the Ice: 5/5
The next track is my favorite on this album and it's the track that introduced me to The Ocean Blue. "Ballerina Out of Control" is the quintessential The Ocean Blue song, the dreamy keyboards and of course majestic guitar work absolutely make this track. Plus the lyrics are really good and have some pretty good meaning to them. Fantastic track, my favorite of The Ocean Blue.
Ballerina Out of Control: 5/5
The second to last track is "Hurricane Amore", a track that starts off with icy sounding winds which then progress into great guitar work and a great support from both the bass and the drums. With the start of this track it even more propels the track towards the sort of wintery and ethereal sound. Great track, lyrics are really good too.
Hurricane Amore: 3.5/5
And finally the last track; "I've Sung One Too Many Songs for a Crowd That Didn't Want to Hear". A acoustic guitar driven, slow starting track that finishes the album off on a great note, and when it finally finishes it leaves that great sounding guitar slightly reaching out alongside the last notes of the bass and drums. Great track, great way to finish.
I've Sung One Too Many Songs for a Crowd That Didn't Want to Hear: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
An excellent album since it brings such an amazing atmosphere all the way through the album.
