In 1996 they were just a bunch of students at Ohio State University. Now, O.A.R. sounds like a well-established rock band that has been playing much longer.
O.A.R. ' which stands for Of a Revolution ' has been relatively quiet since 2005's Stories of a Stranger and the very successful and even catchier single Love and Memories.
But the band members are no strangers to the stage and their latest, All Sides, proves O.A.R. is completely at home in front of a crowd. The first track, This Town
is definitely a track for the fans.
All Sides is standard rock 'n' roll all the way. The band members are known to do a little experimenting with their music, and have often drifted into reggae rhythms on previous albums. But this album is pure and American, like old Springsteen.
While they aren't The Eagles by any means, they certainly embrace the American rock 'n' roll standard. They have smooth, consistent guitars from Marc Roberge and lead guitarist Richard On, steady drum beats from Chris Culos and, on top of it all, Roberge as a strong vocalist. Roberge sings about everything that rock 'n' roll is about: broken hearts and getting through a hard life.
Even with the old school styles, All Sides is very much up to date. The single, Shattered (Turn the Car Around) is much like a song from their contemporaries The Fray and OneRepublic. Much like the new bands, Roberge overdoes the vocals sometimes, like in On My Way when he tries unsuccessfully to extend his range and ends up a sounding strained.
O.A.R. doesn't completely abandon their old sound. Something Coming Over harks back to the OSU days with the saxophone solo and fake-sounding snare.
All Sides is more like Stories of a Stranger than their debut Risen or The Wanderer. This album shows that drastic change or experiments aren't always needed ' sometimes it's nice to have comfort music. All Sides is music like the stuff that started rock 'n' roll. It reminds the listener of home and instills that good old American pride. Since they started in our state, we can feel a little Ohio pride as well.
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Susan Tebben
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