‘Ambitions’ is a very fitting title for One OK Rock’s latest album, as they try to take their career to the next level. Already hugely popular in their native Japan and now signed to Fueled By Ramen Records, One OK Rock have once again opted for an English language release. It’s a move that is clearly designed to widen their appeal globally, as are the carefully chosen collaborations with 5 Seconds Of Summer, and Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low. It’s certainly a position that many other bands would love to find themselves in, and one that One OK Rock definitely have the talent to make the most of.
Starting an album with an instrumental intro track normally has one of two outcomes: either it sets the tone and builds excitement for what is to come, or it comes across as an over indulgent waste of precious running time. The clicks, beeps, and orchestral strings of ‘Ambitions – Introduction’ mark it as one of the latter, particularly as ‘Bombs Away’ then immediately stretches the intro idea even further. Once it gets going, however, ‘Bombs Away’ is an intriguing burst of punchy pop-punk, with impressive vocals and catchy guitars that power it towards an explosive final third.
Alongside the pop-punk influences on show, One OK Rock clearly have an ear for mass market stadium rock. However once they embrace it they struggle to let it go, much to the detriment of what was a fairly promising start. ‘We Are’ and ‘Taking Off’ are a pair of Thirty Seconds To Mars pseudo-epic rock efforts filtered through layers of production that makes them overly slick and soulless. Even the appearance of Alex Gaskarth on ‘Jaded’ fails to live up to the hype as the All Time Low inspired opening soon gives way to more unexciting riffs and laboured lyrics.
Just as ‘Ambitions’ risks becoming bogged down in overwrought guitars and intrusive effects, One OK Rock decide to rip up their own rule book and borrow the one that just about every pop-punk band has used before them. ‘Hard To Love’ is the expected acoustic ballad. It’s not without a certain earnest charm but it’s more sickly sweet than twenty bags of Haribo. ‘American Girls’ on the other hand is the token cheesy three-chord throwaway effort, complete with embarrassing cultural references.
That’s not to say that ‘Ambitions’ is completely without merit, but it’s a real shame that One OK Rock have saved their best song, ‘Start Again’ until second to last. It’s lively and energetic with a good hook and passionate vocals. In short, it’s everything that the album could have been and very little of what it actually is. The high profile collaborations are sure to add numbers to their fan base but they fail to inspire, and the attempt to appeal to a wider audience sees any sense of identity almost disappear at times. Unfortunately, the disconnected flashes of talent and creativity aren’t enough to make ‘Ambitions’ anywhere as good as it needs to be.
CHRIS HILSON