‘OT’, the latest offering from Sydney soloist Oliver Tank is a brooding collection of ambience and down-tempo electronica that takes you on an emotional filled journey full of pure sentiment and intriguing mind-sets.
Following on from singles ‘Swerve’ and ‘Charlene’, as well as an impressive remix for American songstress Solange, Tank’s album sees the artist bask in considerable amounts of space through each track created by the swooning pads which are complimented from time to time with subtle elements of Kanye West sounding auto tune and contrasting instrumentation.
‘Unreal’ from the get go draws comparisons to Fractures, with a similarity on the crisp vocal production. The track builds through Tank’s minimalistic natured vocals with a delayed/reverbed technique on the 808-sounding percussion. Drawing in and out of the mix in the latter half of the track is a quite emphatic synth, followed on by an intensifying ending to the track through the intricate percussion.
“Oliver, where have you been?” – the statement that many of us have been thinking since his last release nearly 3 years ago opens ‘Lost’. The beginning of the song centres through a slow burning nature in the swooping synthesizer, followed by a clever call and response melody between Tank and the supporting vocals. The two standout elements within this track lie within the soaring electric guitar and the orchestral feel to the strings. Together these two add intensified depth to the mix, creating a resounding empathy that bleeds through the soundscape.
‘Falling’ begins with an Alice Ivy sounding introduction, heavily focused on the vigorous strings and sampled vocal lines. Combining the female and Tank’s vocals with significant harmonies at times works perfectly for setting a transient mood within the track. When the chorus hits with laid back percussion and a crescendo nature in the strings pulling in and out of the mix, you can’t help but start bopping and moving as Tank achieves significant groove through these characteristics.
‘OT’ is an impressive compilation of contemplative music that highlights a growth in Oliver Tank’s musicianship which is worth the wait in releases.
Rating: ★★★★
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author: Chris Salce