#25 - The Format - Oceans

The Format - Oceans

Ooh so we're coming to the end of this first section, I know I haven't posted in a while. Apologies Apologies. If you knew how busy I've been you'd forgive me ;) Anyway, onto the song!

'Aw you've got flaws that you won't admit, yet you tell me it's a sin that I don't believe in, aahhh' One of the amazing strengths is this song's incredible catchiness. I dare you to not like it. A combination of vocals, with oohs, aahs, with hand claps, with a cool keyboard sound fills up the space in this song, which makes it sound full when it needs to sound full, and everything is appropriately placed. I would love to play and sing this song live, I can imagine it would be a lot of fun. The line that probably does the most for me is the final few moments of the chorus, the words go a little something like this: "I hear you're somewhere in the sand, and how I wish I was an ocean. Maybe then, I'd get to see you again." I like the analogy, and the way it's delivered is so summery and wonderful that you wouldn't think it was a song about missing someone you love.
The lyrics reveal a few things about the lyricist and vocalist Nate Ruess. He seems to be a bit reclusive, and doesn't like to go out to clubs and pubs:

"Why am I scared of people in a room?
Why can't they see a good time
are the people close to you?
Why don't I just give in?
Have a drink and shake some hands
Oh ey oh
Oh ey oh"

He also laments close friends moving away, but realises that he's been encouraging them the whole time.

"And all my friends
They break and they bend
They take shape and they tend
to get better with time
and I say
"Who am I to work so much less
You get more
You all deserve what I am walking towards
If you want you should move away""

Oceans is at number 15 on my last.fm list, with 19 plays there, but about 40 on itunes at home, not to mention the other times it has been heard on cd players throughout the year. The band is sitting at number 6 on my top artists list as well, which is well deserved.
The Format write some killer pop tunes, and sound like they're influenced a little by some late 60s and 70s pop music as well as some more modern ones too. The album that introduced me to this band is their second album 'Dog Problems' which has Oceans as well as a number of other great songs on it.

I bought the album purely because it got #1 on the absolutepunk.net yearly chart. It got a lot of good feedback, so I thought, why not. Bought it on a hot day while on a break at Coles, threw it in the cd player in Dave's car (which i was borrowing at the time), and was a little puzzled at first at what I was hearing: big band stuff mixed with 70s harmonies and summery pop. But over that summer I became quite a fan. While at Venus Bay with a few friends I listened to this album over and over, each time it became clearer that this band was something I'd fall in love with.

The Format come highly recommended. Dog Problems is an album of genius, and they actually offered it as a free download for a few weeks in the first half of 2007. In more recent news, they've just released a DVD and a b-side/rarities record (which seems to be more of a trend these days, I noticed about 7 b-sides albums coming out from November-December which probably equals record companies hoping for Christmas purchases).
To watch a clip of the DVD (exclusive to absolutepunk.net), a song entitled 'Time Bomb', which is one of the better songs on the album, click here.
Or to listen to other songs and watch other videos, go to their myspace.

That's it for the first section, hope you've enjoyed it so far :) It obviously makes it a lot better if you check out the music yourself, especially if you don't know it :)

I also recently purchased Sigur Ros' documentary feature film 'Heima' and their album 'Takk'. Beautiful music, also highly recommended!

Ben