Oslo - The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate Review
Posted by Matt Reno on 10.29.2007
New album from former No Doubt musician.
Originating in California, Oslo formed in 2001 as a trio comprised of Mattia Borrani (vocals / guitar), Kerry Wayne James (bass), and Gabrial McNair (guitar). They later added keyboardist Damon Ramirez and, in true rock fashion, cycled through twelve drummers before regaining their original drummer Charlie Walker. They released a self-titled debut in 2005 and are now following it up with The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate.
Oslo already have the support of some big names in the world of music. McNair used to be a backing musician for No Doubt and still backs Gwen Stefani on tour. Speaking of Gwen, Walker used to play in Institute, the post-Bush band of Stefani’s husband Gavin Rossdale. They even have some big name help on this album in the form of Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle), Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins), Sam Fogarino (Interpol), and Adrian Young (No Doubt). But enough name dropping. How is the music?
In a phrase, not bad. It’s nothing spectacular but still enjoyable enough. Dark, gothic alt-rock is the predominant sound here with Oslo often resembling a mix of Interpol and Oasis. The Interpol resemblance is most noticeable in the opening track “Slowdive,” a peppy tune with an uplifting beat. Many other upbeat moments appear on the album, though they are juxtaposed with Borrani’s vocals, which veer slightly toward the downtrodden but not enough to be depressing. “On My Mind” is a short but effective track with some great vocal work from Borrani over a fast, rocking backdrop, and “Rhyme or Reason” is a good way to pick up the pace toward the album’s end.
Even tracks with a slower tempo like “Things Fall Apart” aren’t nearly enough to kill the mood. In fact, some are quite powerful. “Crowded Room” may be more methodically paced, but it is a dark, emotional piece that rises in all the right places. As the album moves along, however, I hear a lot of similarity. Mostly in the middle, we get the standard slow verse, bigger chorus, return to slow verse, and gradual rise to the end. I realize that describes a lot of artists’ styles, but Oslo tends to do it with little variation. After a few tracks of that, we’re finally saved by “A Darker Shade,” which, while not terribly different, does delve into a bit of a darker sound and throws in a nice psychedelic breakdown.
Standouts are hard to find on this album, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Though many tracks blend together, there are standouts that will reach your ears gradually. One that you’ll notice most quickly is the title track that rises in strength throughout its four and a half minutes thanks in large part to its strong chorus of “Shoot first, ask questions later.” The soothing verses of “Alive” give way to a bigger chorus with a message of defiance in the face of confusion. It’s a very good song, but as with many tracks on this album, I feel it could have rocked harder but instead stopped one level below. “Mistakes” is a little better thanks mainly to the hard-pounding drums toward the end.
Overall, The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate is an enjoyable album with several memorable moments amidst a lot of less than memorable ones. I wish Oslo would have taken their rocking farther in a few places, but this still remains a cool, laid back rock album. While nothing phenomenal, Oslo’s latest is worth checking out if you’re a fan of modern rock with a somewhat dark and moody side.
The 411: The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate is a pretty good album but could use a bit more variety. Wworth checking out if you're a fan of bands like Interpol.
