Review: Burnthe8Track - The Ocean

artist: burnthe8track album: the ocean label: abacus recordings released: may 2004 by: rob tatum One of the most refreshing things in music today is when bands stray away from just one genre and play whatever they feel. The best way to describe Burnthe8track’s sound may be to not describe it at all. The Ocean carries elements from emo, punk, rock, and everything in between. It’s almost impossible to pin-point the band’s sound and that really helped win this listener over. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Burnthe8track has broken down barriers or anything that drastic, but they have dipped a little from a variety of genres to pull together a very definitive sound. At times I hear Jawbreaker, then I hear Small Brown Bike, then maybe some Brand New, and finally topped off with some Thursday. It’s really a roller coaster of sounds that makes The Ocean a fun listen. If I had to generalize the band’s sound, I would say it’s poppy, but not in that watered down, irritating way that most bands are. The musicianship on this album is much more dynamic than anything ever released by a pop band. The band doesn’t lull you to sleep like and emo band and they don’t bore you with repetitive beats like a punk band. Derek Kun’s vocals are equally as hard to describe. His voice is much scratchier than any pop or emo singer, but his voice is much higher than any hardcore or punk singer. It’s a nice combination with the style of music that Burnthe8track plays. The melodic riffs pounding from guitarist Jason Kun and bassist Mike Goreski make for a great flow to this album. The backing vocals from Jason and drummer Sam Oslund create some interesting vocal overlays. This album rocks. It takes the listener on a journey through many genres and never gets boring. Fans of almost anything can find something good in this album. It’s a great debut and I can only hope for more from this band. favorite song: "buried beneath us" rating: 90%/100% listen to burnthe8track