With Australia, a hotbed for many forms of rock music these days Ocean Alley’s newest album plays with their laid-back beach life formula a bit but stays very accessible to the masses as Low Altitude Living delivers radio-friendly pop rock throughout the twelve strong tracks.
Things start positively from the first notes of the opener “Home” as the shiny guitars, easy drumming, and electro-keys mix into a dreamy 80’s inspired haze, segueing perfectly into the following “Double Vision” which would have been all over the FM airwaves back when that was a thing. This mid-dial production recalls newer outfits like The War On Drugs and The Magic Numbers while keeping things much less freaky or experimental than their countrymen King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard or the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets.
The band, Baden Donegal (vocals, guitar), Angus Goodwin (lead guitar), Lach Galbraith (keyboard, vocals), Mitch Galbraith (guitar), Nic Blom (bass), and Tom O’Brien (drums) reveled in their lockdown time off the road in 2020, using it to demo then create these catchy, easily digestible efforts.
Two of the better are the yacht rock-inspired “Touch Back Down” which goes big with synths and riffs during a soaring chorus and the warbling, 311 funk-rock grooves of “West Coast” that beach bums around the world will bounce happily along with.
The poppy, straight-ahead “Perfume” twinkles while the group’s style shifts to more ballad territory for “Drinks And Cigars” before “Simple Pleasures” pushes a successful dance vibe forward with a sax solo and clean electric guitars coloring the party-ready number.
Less engaging are the group’s forays into heavier riffs, recalling Queensrÿche during “Changes” while “Deepest Darkness” adds overtop splashes of Aerosmith-like arena rock into the sound. Ocean Alley also takes an odd twist into light R&B with “Snake Eyes” which would be a smart move, but they directly cop an “Easy (Like Sunday Morning)” flow sounding like a strange mashup of cover and original. Ocean Alley gets back into synch, wrapping up Low Altitude Living with a mix of jammy, bright riffs, and synths that float and encompass the group’s vibes with an easy-flowing form on the pretty “Lapwing”. The track showcases the band’s talents, fading out like a western sunset to close the vibrant album.
