London quartet THE OCEAN’S EYES plough a similar enough furrow to many bands you’ve heard over the past five years – inoffensive emo pop-rock in the vein of Fall Out Boy et al.
‘Lions’ shows a band attempting to find their feet with shiny production values that belie the fact that this is a self release. Showcased too are some solid (albeit formulaic) songwriting chops. Unfortunately however, ‘Lions’ doesn’t cause whiplash-inducing turning of heads though much originality of vision.
Still, give them time. There’s a glimmer of promise here that hints that perhaps with a bit of creative emancipation, The Ocean’s Eyes could produce something captivating next time round. The slow build approach has worked for many bands so far – The Xcerts being a recent and notable success story.
CHRIS SHIPMAN