Oversize – Into the Ceiling (EP)
Release Date: 14th October 2021
Label: Church Road Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Alt Rock, Shoegaze.
FFO: Puppy, Phoxjaw, Static Dress, Hum.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
Some of you may recall during the early days of the pandemic, there were many articles in which it was espoused that productivity and creativity should flourish during lock downs. It was assumed since people were forced to slow down, it would afford them more time to devote to other pursuits. I can attest that in the states, there was definitely a “now is a time to be productive” mentality (damn the Puritan work ethic). The reality is that most people did not have the mental capacity to pursue much beyond hanging out in pyjamas and mindless scrolling. But there were some musicians who used the time to write and hone their craft. Oversize formed right before shit hit the fan, and they used the time during the pandemic to their advantage. In 2021, they released their EP ‘In Balance’ and proceeded to play shows throughout the UK. Now these gents are back with their sophomore release, ‘Into the Ceiling.’
Oversize pack a tremendous amount of sound into 4 tracks. ‘Into the Ceiling’ is teeming with sounds straight out of early 90s alt/indie rock with some shoegaze elements. It will undoubtedly be a trip down memory lane for some folks. You have to love the moments of nostalgia that make you reminisce about the halcyon days of youth, yet also realize how old you are becoming. What a trip that can be! For fans of this style of music, Oversize will give you what you are looking for: layers of warm, fuzzy, distorted guitars coupled with airy elements, a strong rhythm section, and melodic vocals. There are periods of heavy riffs which in some ways reminded me of early Smashing Pumpkins or Hum. Generally I would say the combination of sounds Oversize draws from is not creating anything new, but it is delivered with thoughtfulness and precision. They really took some of the best elements of artists that influenced them and are running with those sounds. One can tell they have quite the array of pedals at their disposal, which is only fitting for this genre. The only critique I have is that there are times in which the vocals fall a bit flat; the lead singer tends to shine when he stays out of lower ranges.
Clearly, such a young band has room to grow, and I would say to keep these guys on your radar. If they continue to build upon what they started with ‘Into the Ceiling’ they will likely suss out more of their own sound and rely less upon drawing so heavily from their influences. They seem more than willing to tread into various areas, so it will be interesting to hear how they evolve.
(3.5 / 5)
