Review Summary: A wanderer's lyrical manifest
Too many times folk music has fallen into the same mundane trap that plagues the watered down genre. We have become accustomed to the same musical formula and the repetitive and sometimes boring melodies and lyrics. Luckily, Lee DeWyze has released an album that does more for the genre than anyone might have expected.
Oil & Water is a wanderers lyrical manifest and boasts a very melodic, if not somwhat slow burning affair. Sure, this album does on occassion meander and drag on like in the sub par ending track, "Way too Long" but there is an element of purity and honesty here that can really grab on and speak to the mind and heart.
The opening track, "Again" sets the tone for the entire album and is a solid entry with classic folk guitar and Lee's voice resonating and echoing. DeWyze has come a long way and evolved since his journey on American Idol, and his lyrics have only gotten better through experience. In the somber track "Stone" Lee strings together a pounding chorus and a marching snare that makes it sound as if you are riding a wave through the melody.
There are a lot of vocal overlays and echoes on Oil & Water that make it sound very atmospheric. There is no better use of this technique than in "Same for You" which is arguably the strongest track on the album. This track does more to connect emotionally as Lee sings, "If you wanna break loose then you gotta break free." Lee paints a very descriptive picture in his lyrics that is all but absent from most folk music today, and this makes Oil & Water a strong entry.
There are some bad apples however. As stated before, the closing track "Way too Long" is very repetitive and doesnt do too much to connect with the listener. "Hollyridge" is more of the same and sounds like many other folk songs before it and is pretty boring to be honest. But despite these two lapses, the rest of Oil & Water is a fantastically woven piece of musical work that should only help DeWyze grow as an artist. Its something you dont want to miss.
