In Review: Stereophonics - "Oochya!"
That said, from my purely personal and subjective point of view, Stereophonics' output has always been a bit on the spotty side; the majority of their records (especially over the past decade and change) have been neither hit nor miss, relegated instead to the cursed middle of the road, home to a few fine additions to a greatest hits playlist but ultimately lacking anything truly substantial. Worse, as is inevitable when you've been doing the same thing with (mostly) the same people for so long, age and repetition conspire to ensure diminishing returns.
Enter Oochya!, an album that plays somewhat like a greatest hits album because it was originally intended to be one; the story goes, as frontman Kelly Jones was poring through material in an effort to compile their second greatest hits album (their first, released in 2008, illustrates just how impressive their early singles are), some unused songs from the band's history were dusted off, prompting renewed creativity. So, rather than having some unreleased tracks alongside latter day singles, those songs appear here, touched up along with new songs written specifically for the occasion.
If that sounds like a recipe for an uneven affair, give yourself an honorary producer's credit; in addition to what could be considered standard fare for the band, there are detours into scuzzy blues rock (Hanging On Your Hinges), laid back acoustic finger picking (Leave the Light On and Jack in a Box), four-on-the-floor AC/DC lite (Running Round My Brain), sunny piano soul (Every Dog Has Its Day), syncopated indie dance-rock (You're My Soul), slow-mo orchestral balladry (All I Have Is You), sugary power pop (Made a Mess Of Me), twangy classic rock fare (Seen That Look Before), and even a little loosy-goosy Stones swagger (Don't Know What Ya Got).
It doesn't help that most of these disparate styles smash into each other after such a strong opening; early singles Forever and Do Ya Feel My Love?, alongside the aforementioned fiery opener Hanging On Your Hinges and the melodic throwback When You See It, comprise the first four songs, after which point all bets are apparently off. Also, with many of these songs approaching or surpassing the five minute mark, Oochya! has a staggering 48 minutes of music to throw at you past the end of track four. With so many different moods and styles included, its hour-plus runtime can be especially difficult to get through without fatigue setting in; I can't help but think trimming this thing down by four or five tracks could have not only made Oochya! go down a lot smoother, but also guaranteed at least a couple of passable, easy inclusions on that second greatest hits album if that's still in the cards.
Having said that, there are no truly egregious errors to be had here and, if the goal was to demonstrate the band's diversity, that mission is surely accomplished. I could bicker over the scattershot nature of the track list or the decision to front load the album with its strongest potential hits all I want, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a band of trained professionals that could have phoned in a compilation to commemorate their silver anniversary but instead chose to go above and beyond. Though it doesn't raise much of a challenge against their best work, there are ample reminders of why Stereophonics have remained popular and relevant, if only at home.
March 4, 2022 • Ignition
Highlights Forever • When You See It • Do Ya Feel My Love?
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