Disco de Ocean Colour Scene: “North Atlantic Drift”

Ocean Colour Scene have always had a lot of potential and on this album they re-realise their full potential and hit back at everybody with an album that lacks a single weak song.

"I Just Need Myself" is the first single to be taken from the album and charted quite highly in the UK singles chart back in 2003. To some it might be a traditional OCS rocker (which it is) but it has a slight edge to it and is a great album opener.

"Oh Collector" is one of 4 songs that could have made good single material but didn't get picked, with a easy going verse and heavy chorus this song really adds quality to the album and has some nice guitar playing by Steve Cradock, and even Oscars drumming is intriguing too. The final chorus elevates the song to near-anthemic status and ends with a unique outro.

The third song is the title track and has an almost George Harrison style slide guitar lick to it, a strong song and also catchy. In fact most songs on "North Atlantic Drift" are catchy and you'll find it hard to forget many of them. This song has lyrics that are quite confusing yet really good to hear and delivered well.

"Golden Gate Bridge" is the song that Noel Gallagher (of Oasis) said he wished he had wrote. A love song that is full of emotion, and again delivered with a huge sounding chorus and some exquisite guitar playing again by Cradock, this could actually be Steve Cradocks best played guitar song ever by OCS. "Golden Gate Bridge" was also the final single to be taken from this album.

Now we are faced with the 2nd single from "North Atlantic Drift". "Make The Deal" is here in its original form (having been re-done for the single release) and complete with a string section and big chorus (yet again) maybe should have been titled "The Real World". Lyrically it attacks the music industry and it's dictatorship approach to musicians.

"For Every Corner" is another of those "should this have been a single?" album tracks. What a great chorus this song has and the build up to it is perfect. You'll want this one playing loud wherever you are for sure.

"On My Way" is a stomping rocky number complete with horn section and catchy chorus (suprised?) seems very much of the style set for driving. Some great guitar playing throughout this song too.

"Second Hand Car" is a song about men and how they take women for granted, what a beautiful song though. The lyrics here are un-faultable and are just brilliant. Ending with a touching guitar solo.

"She's Been Writing" is a huge string led song. I can't say much on it but it is produced very well and the musicianship in it is gorgeous.

"The Song Goes On" has many sides to it and yet is such a strong way to bring the album to a close, especially when the "it depends on who's doorway" section.. I love the slide guitar parts in that section. This is one that goes on repeat.

"When Evil Comes" is my personal favourite on the album and the longest track too. It builds and builds and builds on a droning guitar then comes the tablas and it just is a great way to end the album.

OCS returned to form big time with this album!!!! BUY IT FOR THE SONGS AND THE BONUS TRACKS TOO!!!! It IS worth it.

With North Atlantic Drift, Ocean Colour Scene continue to explore the brand of Northern soul they reinvented in the early 90's and was then made popular by bands like The Verve and Stereophonics. While many of their compatriots have gone on to popularity abroad, OCS have always been a strictly English taste. That will probably remain the same with this sixth studio release. Which is too bad, actually. Though the palette is similar to past releases, North Atlantic Drift is more muscular and consistent than recent efforts. Simon Fowler has written a set of candid, effective lyrics, and he invests them with career-high vocals. The band, especially journeyman guitarist Steve Craddock, matches him with focus. They've always been expert at ballads - that's no different here, especially the lifers' commitment of "Golden Gate Bridge" - but it's the rockers that hold court throughout. Most impressively on opener "I Just Need Myself", about self-sufficiency as a way of life, and the title tune, whose war metaphor is imposed, political, and absolutely relative.

I was looking for music on a Damon Fowler and the name Simon Fowler came up....so I thought it would be similar Blues/Swamp Rock kind of music...very wrong...but yet very right.

Simon Fowler is a part of the British music group, Ocean Colour Scene, and they produce some gorgeous, interesting pop rock music. I listened to all of the albums that I could access (some have a limited stateside release) and found this album my favorite (to my taste). I downloaded 7 of the songs to my compilation. I liked I Just Need Myself, Make the Deal, For Every Corner, Second Hand Car, The Song Goes On, Questions and I Want to See the Bright Lights.

Being from "another" generation (the 60's), I found their music remindful of the harmonies of, dare I say, the Beatles and The Hollies from that era but Ocean Colour Scene's sound is all their own. Also, I found several other songs from their albums very good and downloaded them as well. Those are: I Told You So, On the Leyline, Don't Get Me, Two Lovers, You' Never Find Me from "On the Leyline"; Free My Name, This Day Should Last Forever, God's World from "Hyperactive Workout..."; Sway, Deep Blue Ocean and One of Those Days from their first album; You've Got It Bad from "Moseley Shoals" album; Up on the Down Side from "Mechanical Wonder"; It's a Beautiful Thing from "Marchin' Already"; and Yesterday Today from "The BBC Sessions". I find myself listening to these songs over and over again. I recommend them highly.

"North Atlantic Drift" is another fine collection of songs from Ocean Colour Scene. Like always mostly a combination of melodic ballads and mid-tempo rockers; often dominated by acoustic guitars.

This time the album opens with a great high-energy rocker "Just Need Myself"; a song which was also released as a single.

Next track "Oh Collector" is a more typical OCS song; a ballad with a more heavy chorus and some wild breaks.. Fine catchy tune.

The album continues with another great song. The title track is a mid-tempo song with acoustic guitars and fine vocals.

With "Golden Gate Bridge" the speed goes down: Another ballad with heavy guitars on the chorus.

"Make the Deal" is one of the higlights of the album. A very catchy and commercial tune that should have been a hit-single. OCS at their very best, and probably my favourite track.

"For Every Corner" is another catchy tune; a little hymn-like. I can imagine it could turn into a live favourite.

"On My Way" is a little funky tune; not particularly memorable.

The acoustic "Second Hand Car" is another nice little song; perhaps sounding too similar to some of their earlier acoustic songs.

The string-laden ballad "She's Been Writing" is another personal favourite of mine; though at places the strings tend to be a little too dominating.

The two closing tracks are both nice, but relatively forgettable.