Album Review: Glass Ocean - The Remnants Of Losing Yourself In Someone Else

The Remnants Of Losing Yourself In Someone Else is a riddle of a title, wrapped in a mystery of an album, created by an enigma of a band. To bastardise the famous Churchill quote. 

Sydney five-piece Glass Ocean sit loosely within the Aussie alt-prog spectrum, and borrow a little from the Karnivools and Dead Letter Circuses of this world, but are very much forging their own musical path at the same time. They are a band overflowing with ideas, and this, being their debut long player after a couple of EPs (which were excellent in their own right), is the first time they’ve had the opportunity to wind them out, to truly put their considerable songwriting, instrumental and production chops on full display. And it all works a treat, across the course of 11 tracks and 40 minutes of music. 

Indeed, this album is quality from end to end, every track is strong. They have steadfastly avoided anything even resembling filler here. If there is a best track award, it would have to be handed to the beautiful slow-burner Bolero, which arguably shows off singer Tobias Atkins’s unique, resonant voice to best effect.

One of the best things about this band is that - in a similar fashion to the abovementioned DLC - they manage to project a very powerful sound without relying on relentlessly overdriven guitars. In fact, their guitar sounds are far more jangly, jazzy and shimmering than crunching, crushing and in your face. But they rock mightily anyway. 

Glass Ocean make a very classy, if highly idiosyncratic statement on their debut. Check it out if you need a little joy amid the COVID nightmare.