Golden Ocean [Digipak] - Fifty Foot Wave > Reviews > Golden Ocean by 50 Foot Wave

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Hard hitting, fast, fun, and loud music .
Disadvantages:	50 Foot Wave is not music that everyone will dig .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Picture Sonic Youth and early Nirvana. Forget that. How about Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde sings lead for a hybrid form of Henry Rollins' Black Flag. Ah, never mind. I can't figure it out. I know it screams though! I am talking about an old face and a new band. The face is that of Kristin Hersh. The band is 50 Foot Wave. And you better prepare yourself for the flood!

In 2003 with the flowers wilted on the grave of what was once Throwing Muses and Kristin Hersh's solo career on a temporary hold after the release of the Grotto Hersh sets off on a new course. She tapped long time Muse bassist, Bernard Georges and found drummer Rob Ahlers (Fun Fact #1) and created 50 Foot Wave (Fun Fact #2). The trio came together to make a unique sound with the new band. There are infusions of punk, rock and grunge. Their music is gritty, loud and fun. Their first full length album is Golden Ocean.

The Album

The crew headed to LA to record Golden Ocean under the production of Ethan Allen (no, not that one, this one, Fun Fact #3). The album itself was recorded in the summer of 2004 and released earlier this year. All the members of the band share equal credit on songwriting, unusual but honorable in today's music industry.

I will tell you straight up that to really get into this album you must like raw, punky music with lots of energy. Golden Ocean is pure energy. 50 Foot Wave as a sound will not suit everyone's taste. The first run through the album you might find something that catches your ear and next thing you know you are listening to it over and over. Golden Ocean is infectious as athlete's foot in the YMCA shower. The energy and vibe put off by 50 Foot Wave will get under your skin and have you bobbing your head long after the tracks have ended.

The record is high energy from start to finish. Like a Ramones album, the songs are short and to the point. The punk sound is loud and can make for muddled annunciations with momentary moments of clarity followed quickly by another barrage from the guitars and drums. Ahlers plays the drums like he is smashing bugs and swatting flys. Hersh rakes the guitar like it owes her money and belts vocals with harsh and raspy tones. Georges bounces the bass right along with the chaos to give you a rhythm to bob your head to. It reads like a train wreck but sounds amazing. The songs that make up Golden Ocean have that same nuclear edginess but sound individually distinct. Many albums of this cut of genre sound like run on sentences with very few distinctive songs. Golden Ocean is different. 50 Foot Wave crafted Golden Ocean in a way that keeps the ebb and flow going without beating you to death.

The Tracks (My iTunes star ratings _/5)

Long Painting (2:56) 5/5
Bone China (2:28) 4/5
Pneuma (3:45) 2/5
Clara Bow (3:09) 4/5
Petal (4:17) 3/5
Dog Days (3:52) 3/5
Sally is a Girl (4:02) 5/5
El Dorado (3:15) 4/5
Ginger Park (2:53) 3/5
Diving (3:02) 3/5
Golden Ocean (3:52) 5/5

The songwriting, as already mentioned, is credited to the entire band. This is not as common as one might think and gives you the impression that everyone brought something to the table for this record. Hersh has matured greatly in her songwriting skills and it really shows here on Golden Ocean. Ahlers has some fiery skills too. Georges is not a new comer to the scene either. The trio put together a lot of focused energy into each track and it shows. You can hear that time was spent with each track to get the most out of every delivery.

There is not a slow song on Golden Ocean. 50 Foot Wave runs full steam on every track. I am not sure but it sounds like the band recorded the album live instead of overlaying recorded tracks. This gives the songs an informal feel but because the delivery is so solid nothing is missed. Without being too manicured the songs jump out at you in vivid way. It sounds gritty and raw while remaining far from juvenile.

Vocally some tracks get clouded a bit in the music but the impression remains. Hersh has a deeper voice then she did in her youth. It sounds meaner, more emotional, and richer. She sings with full conviction and that is something that drew me into Golden Ocean. To be fair, the whole band lays it all out on every track. Listening to Golden Ocean you feel that they all have their hearts fully behind every beat, strum and note.

Pneuma is the only flat spot on the burning rubber that is Golden Ocean. This song is a little moodier than the others but it is not dark or foreboding. It just lacks the vibrancy of the other tracks and just sounds angry. Sally is a Girl, Bone China, Long Painting and the title song Golden Ocean are a lot of fun and are standouts on this album.

Personal Impressions

It is tough for me to hide the fact that I like this album. It has a familiar feel to it while still being unlike anything else out there. The sound is new, bouncy, and fun. It is pure rock without the fluff, raw and exposed. It rips.

My first taste of 50 Foot Wave was the very first song on Golden Ocean, Long Painting. It highlighted Hersh's new sound. Her voice is amazing but is an acquired taste. She is far from traditional. She has made a career of breaking molds. The band brings together so much for Golden Ocean. The sound, energy and flow will move you if you have at least one rock bone in your body. Like that bug from the Star Trek movie, 50 Foot Wave burrowed into my ear and has affected me.

I would not be the first person to compare 50 Foot Wave to early Nirvana material. When I first listened to it that is what I thought about. It is that good. The emotions are right there pounding at you. The music is so rich you can almost see it. This is music that is left unpolished because that is its true form. If it was all dolled up with fades and samples it would sound like most of the other trash floating in the air today. Golden Ocean is better than that.

If you like high energy, loud music then 50 Foot Wave might be right up your alley.

Run Time: 11 songs, 37.5 minutes = 35.6mb on iTunes/iPod

Fun Facts

1~ Rob Ahlers has been hitting the skins for a long time. Give him the sticks and stand back. He has played on Whitney Houston's band and was a member of Sharlotte's Web and Ryan5.
2~ The band's name comes from the longest sound wave the human ear can hear.
3~ Ethan Allen the producer has nothing to do with the pricey furniture. He has everything to do with quality records with the likes of Luscious Jackson, Better Than Ezra and up-and-comings The 88 and Cathexis. Allen worked with Hersh on Sky Motel and Throwing Muses on Limbo.

To sample 50 Foot Wave for yourself visit: www.throwingmusic.com You can also buy the album here or at your local music store. Golden Ocean is widely available.

Thanks for listening,
© Christian Stanley 2005

I have republished this review.