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| Popmatters |
 Hand up if you’re a fan of O.A.R.—the veterans of freewheeling, reggae-tinged jams and inspirational lyrics. Now put your hand down if you loved “Shattered” and don’t give a lick about 18-minute live versions of “That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker”. I probably just lost half the crowd, and this is the kind of divisive career path that O.A.R. has taken. At one point, they were a Christian-influenced, less weird Phish. Since 2006, they’ve been more like Dave Matthews Band. And on King, O.A.R. play with even more radio-friendly structures, a move guaranteed to alienate some fans while gaining plenty of others.Case in point, King has 16 tracks, and none of them crest the 4:30 mark. This is unheard of in the O.A.R. discography—Soul’s Aflame alone featured four six-minute-plus compositions, and that album only had 11 tracks. Popular reference points are clear throughout King. “Taking On The World Today” sounds like the less insipid cousin of a Train song. “Dangerous Connection” and “Gotta Be Wrong Sometimes” could have been radio hits a decade ago, and “Heaven” sounds like it was made to duet with Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, trading off lines on the chorus and everything. Mark my words: If that single does anything at all, it will be performed on the upcoming season of The Voice. But the reference points are just that—stylistic nods that are still soundly O.A.R. compositions. O.A.R. sounds like Train in the way that New York rap upstart Action Bronson sounds like Ghostface Killah—no matter the similarities, you’ll never hear a Bronselini track and think you’re listening to Supreme Clientele. The first few songs may turn off longtime fans who have felt dismay over the increasingly “mainstream” quality of recent albums, but anyone who takes the time to dig deep into King will find something to enjoy. The instrumental shifts and solos of “Fire” are made for live shows, and I can see it becoming as big a fan favorite as “Right On Time”. The title track will bring a whole new energy (and a DJ?) to O.A.R. sets, and the three short interludes offer a poignant reminder that if you give these guys instruments and let them run, they’ll cook up some funky grooves....full text |
| Music |
| Like most jam bands, O.A.R. have been perpetually more interesting live than in studio. The roots rockers' seventh studio effort does not quite do enough to buck the trend, with interludes like "We Made It" best capturing the funky livewire on-stage energy, though it gives the band, famous for constantly re-inventing songs in concert, plenty of good starting points for their more spontaneous live versions. From the breezy beach vibe of reggae flavored guitars and swaying rhythm on "Are You Low?", ripe with burping horns, to the jabbing mash of organ, guitar, and elastic bass groove on "Gotta Live", O.A.R. create an infectious, feel-good atmosphere. While most of the album is a love-struck affair, the snarling growl of a toiling electric guitar give the calm call to revolt on "King" a menacing vibe, while the choir-fuelled backing vocals are a wise choice on political "Heaven", as they rebuke the promised land while standing up for groups shunned by fanatics in the name of religion....full text |
| 40forlent.wordpress |
| One of the biggest fears in the music industry is if and when a band will sell out. A band can sell out two different ways: by producing nothing but garbage music from the start to turn a quick buck or by forgetting their roots and what made them famous in order to stay relevant in the music industry. What O.A.R. did was the latter, and in quite possibly the worst way. The 14-year-old group from Ohio came out with their new album, “King,” today. I was excited to hear one of my favorite band’s new albums because, despite the disappointment in their last effort, I always like to hear new music being written by bands I’ve shelled out a ton of money for. “King” was a huge step back from “All Sides,” which came out in 2008. It took “All Sides” a while to grow on me after hearing the songs translated live. The album had some gems in it but I doubt that will be the case for “King.” I mean there is hope but I won’t get my hopes up. Richard On tweeted me telling me that I “Gotta B Wrong Sometimes” in response to me telling him I did not like the album and thought it was O.A.R.’s effort. But at least he did respond which shows this band cares about their music still, and I can respect that a lot. Drummer Chris Culos also responded saying, “well, that’s just like… your opinion, man. ha. thanks for at least giving it a shot. catch you on another day.” The first single on the album, “Heaven,” is by far the worst single this band has ever released. At least “Love & Memories” and “Shattered” were decent songs live. But “Heaven” sounded like a crappy Deathcab for Cutie rip off, having no genuine sound at all. And it gets worse through out the album. The opening song “King” features either Mikell Paris playing the horn parts on the keys or a very awful effect used by saxophonist Jerry DePizzo. And it wasn’t just there. The awful synthetic horn sound popped up through out the album. “Not For Me” is one instant of this. It’s a really good song but that synthetic horn sound is awful. It sounds extremely phony. If DePizzo played a straight sax part on it, it would sound absolutely incredible....full text |
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