Olio - Living The Dream
2007, AD4 Records
Los Angeles based Olio is an unusual conglomeration. It's a power trio made up of a film composer, a DJ, and a director of music arts. Influenced by everything from Classic Rock to Classic Soul to a hint of country here and there, Olio has created a sound that is at once recognizable and accessible, while managing to be new and different. The disc submitted to Wildy's World are ten songs from the project entitled Living The Dream which will eventually be 15-20 songs long. If this disc is any indication, Living The Dream should be a juggernaut.
I'll be honest and say that comparisons to Queen will be in order on several tracks. The musical construction has a quasi-symphonic construction that is similar in style to bands like Queen, Yes, Styx, etc. One Last Goodbye is one such song with tight instrumentation, non-traditional construction, and even a reggae bridge. Bad Apple is a delicious guitar rock song that sounds like Nuno Betterncourt is playing lead guitar. I invite you all to check out Soccer Mom, an entirely politically incorrect neo-punk tune that could gain particular prominence in the current political environment if re-recorded as "Hockey Mom".
Four Letter Word is a great 1960's flavored tune with a bit of tongue-in-cheek flair. Here We Go (featuring Young Crew), which is currently a house song for the New Jersey Devils Hockey team, is an up and at 'em anthem you have to hear. Other highlights include Completely Beautiful and Working For America.
Olio isn't simply a sign of the revival of the classic rock sound; they've actually managed to create a classic sound that is new without stepping into the land of cliché. This is music with incredible commercial potential. It's fun to listen to; it's articulate, and it's musically complex and rewarding. Living The Dream is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and shows incredible promise when it is completed. I have debated whether this is Desert Island material, only because it is incomplete, but it's certain that even the ten songs here stand up on their own as a great work. So yes, Living The Dream is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.
2007, AD4 Records
Los Angeles based Olio is an unusual conglomeration. It's a power trio made up of a film composer, a DJ, and a director of music arts. Influenced by everything from Classic Rock to Classic Soul to a hint of country here and there, Olio has created a sound that is at once recognizable and accessible, while managing to be new and different. The disc submitted to Wildy's World are ten songs from the project entitled Living The Dream which will eventually be 15-20 songs long. If this disc is any indication, Living The Dream should be a juggernaut.
I'll be honest and say that comparisons to Queen will be in order on several tracks. The musical construction has a quasi-symphonic construction that is similar in style to bands like Queen, Yes, Styx, etc. One Last Goodbye is one such song with tight instrumentation, non-traditional construction, and even a reggae bridge. Bad Apple is a delicious guitar rock song that sounds like Nuno Betterncourt is playing lead guitar. I invite you all to check out Soccer Mom, an entirely politically incorrect neo-punk tune that could gain particular prominence in the current political environment if re-recorded as "Hockey Mom".
Four Letter Word is a great 1960's flavored tune with a bit of tongue-in-cheek flair. Here We Go (featuring Young Crew), which is currently a house song for the New Jersey Devils Hockey team, is an up and at 'em anthem you have to hear. Other highlights include Completely Beautiful and Working For America.
Olio isn't simply a sign of the revival of the classic rock sound; they've actually managed to create a classic sound that is new without stepping into the land of cliché. This is music with incredible commercial potential. It's fun to listen to; it's articulate, and it's musically complex and rewarding. Living The Dream is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and shows incredible promise when it is completed. I have debated whether this is Desert Island material, only because it is incomplete, but it's certain that even the ten songs here stand up on their own as a great work. So yes, Living The Dream is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.
Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Olio at http://www.oliomusic.com/. You can currently download the tracks from Living The Dream for free there.
You can learn more about Olio at http://www.oliomusic.com/. You can currently download the tracks from Living The Dream for free there.
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