Album Review: Oakland - Into The Sea

The charmingly inoffensive debut EP from Perth’s Oakland is at once warm and uplifting, and manages to stop short of stumbling into the ever-expanding abyss of indie-rock mediocrity.

Into The Sea finely weaves maudlin vocals and reverb-thick guitar melodies into dreamy soundscapes that would accompany a road trip or a reflective Sunday afternoon well. Although beset by an inexorable self-consciousness for a band as green as this, the restraint and cohesion in their sound are rather impressive and warrant further listens to uncover some timidly disguised hooks and subtle harmonies.