ALBUM REVIEW: Vital Signs – Oversize

With two EPs under their belt, OVERSIZE have garnered plenty of support ahead of their first full-length Vital Signs. Appearances at Outbreak Festival and a tour with BOSTON MANOR have come alongside positive support from BBC Radio 1 rock DJs, including Jack Saunders. The five-piece, hailing from Salisbury, draw heavily from the 90s in forming their sound: a hybrid of the era’s heavy American alt-rock and British shoegaze, tinged with a melancholic darkness. These contemporary but contrasting influences are ever-present on their debut record.

Those influences form the inherent tension in the OVERSIZE sound: it seeks both to hit with crashing riffs and create absorbent textures to get lost in. Album opener Stalling quickly shows off both sides – an immediate assault of crunchy, fuzz-laden guitar, droning lead lines and gauzy vocals. It’s over in a moment, a rising tempo leading into Are You With Me. Like most of the album, its musical construction is simple – no flashy lead work and simple chord progressions. It directs its effort at the sound – full of richness and saturation, bite in the power chords and drum hits. The clean lead lines have a dreamlike quality, especially in the bridge; the tape-recording vocal effect is reminiscent of bands like CASEY.

Much of the album draws on that 90s alt-rock sound. Single Fall Apart is more thunderous power chords and a lead line not out of place on a SOUNDGARDEN record. Across all the tracks are the hazy, reverb-drenched vocals of Sam McCauley, sat somewhere between the out-of-focus shoegaze style and the quieter parts of DEFTONES. Its contrast against the crashing riffs is interesting but becomes repetitive, wanting a different gear or register. Some overlayed harmony work in Fall Apart and belted background vocals on Daretomove provide this, but these moments are sparing.

That repetitiveness is, unfortunately, the album’s weakest point. Little stands out in the constructions of many of the tracks – primarily simple mid-tempo riffs with the levels pushed to maximum saturation. Some moments break through – a guitar lick on Daretomove, a faster riff movement on The Incline. SALT pushes the envelope with some added dynamism and a memorable chorus hook. Absent this, it’s another instance of that inspirational tension – songs are often over in two or three minutes, making it difficult to get lost in their sonic qualities.

The strongest moments of Vital Signs begin with calmer introspection. Something Clean starts with the sort of textures you can bask in – a droning minor key bass and guitar arpeggiations, a perfect blend with the downbeat vocals. Suddenly, a five-second stab of pure aggression, including affected screams, jerks the listener to attention. It’s the sort of emotional, dynamic contrast the rest of the album is crying out for. Later, From The Hell begins with chorus-pedal clean guitar work, holding heft and depth. Its escalation begins with a twisty riff from the SMASHING PUMPKINS playbook before letting loose with multiple overdriven guitar lines. It’s an indulgent moment of fun from OVERSIZE.

There’s also plenty to like on the closing title track and single Vital Signs. Here, the album’s ingredients come together to form something greater than the sum of their parts. Clever drum loop overdubs, surging vocals, effects-laden bass and a more indulgent five-minute length hit a strong balance. It provides both textures to immerse oneself in and offers thrills and excitement.

The precedent of mixing riffs and shoegaze texture is not new. As much as modern reference points for shoegaze may lie with SLOWDIVE and MY BLOODY VALENTINE, bands like SWERVEDRIVER and RIDE were as at home in the realms of rock-out riffs as textured walls of guitar. However, the end result on Vital Signs is missing a gear. The album is crying out for something – a departure from its mid-tempo lane, a different vocal register or lyrical immediacy, a dynamic accelerant or earworm in the riffs. The confidence and soundcraft are there, though, and enjoyable enough. It leaves a robust base upon which to build and develop.

Rating: 6/10

Vital Signs is set for release on February 28th via SharpTone Records.

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