I’ll level with you here; I was never a fan of pop punk when growing up. The likes of MCR and Blink-182 confused and bewildered me, as I simply could not understand the appeal. “Where are the screamed vocals?”, I would ask, only to be shocked when I was told that there weren’t any. However, while I never fully engaged with rock and roll’s most cutesy sub-genre, I have always secretly enjoyed the eternally melodic, idealistic, and often melancholic, stylings of pop punk. This is why, when listening to OCEANDVST, I was initially hesitant, but after a few minutes of poppy-punky goodness, I felt entirely enchanted.
The female-fronted quintet hails from Greece and, while only formed in 2017, have already released an EP, Escape Rovte. The EP itself is so jam-packed full of tracks that are simply awaiting the right misunderstood teen to come along and become their best friend, speaking to them on a level that no one else understands. Ah, to be young once more.
All joking aside however, Escape Rovte is a solid EP, one which expertly demonstrates the technical abilities of OCEANDVST. Within its short run time, Escape Rovte manages to show off all of its strongest elements; the tight-knit guitar riffs, the ebbing in to heaviness which is eluded to by expertly placed crunchy bass notes, and, of course, the symphonic style vocals which are displayed prominently throughout.
And, as much as I am a metalhead ’til death, I have to say that the entirely melodic and bittersweet “A Song To Say Goodbye”, easily the ‘softest’ track on the EP, was my stand-out personal favourite. The slightly slower pace of the track allows for more to happen within it, meaning that smaller details, like the quiet synth in the background, have a chance to shine, with listeners being given a chance to fully explore all of the intricacies of the track.
OCEANDVST are nothing short of sounding completely magical. The band have captured a sweetness within their music spawned from their genuine love of their craft, something which does not often resonate with listeners in modern music. While they are most definitely pop punk, I would urge even the most stony-hearted of metalheads to listen to OCEANDVST, and allow themselves the joy of becoming entirely enveloped by their upbeat melancholic music.
Escape Rovte is out now and is available to download here.
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