Hey Petrunko [ECD] - Ooberman > Reviews > Hey Read this Petrunko

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Dreamy, eastern european tinged pop
Disadvantages:	Oooberman split up soon after release

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

What proved to be Ooberman's final masterpiece. A step forwards from The Magic Treehouse, with the Running Girl EP as a stepping stone, this is a mature, drifting album full of emotion and drama.

Track listing
1. Hatch Opens
A short opening burst of strings, guitars and we're off on a journey through Dan Popplewell's world of catchy pop conjoined with just about every other musical genre going.

2. Bluebell Morning
Uplifting catchy pop, Sophia Churney sings like an angel, reminiscent of "Blossoms Falling" from The Magic Treehouse.

3. Running Girl
From the EP of the same name, a moody piece of pop/electronic crossover with Dan Popplewell's distorted voice cutting through.

4. Dreams In The Air
Folky, guitar led dreamy song.

5. Where Did I Go Wrong
Wurlitzer, swirling, disjointed, like a strange circus ride through a disturbed past life.

6. Hand That Gets Burnt
Sophia to the fore again, a beautiful song that uses her voice perfectly.

7. SnakeDance
Ooberman's "Song 2"? Bouncy, eastern european, hard rock?

8. Open The Hatch
Strings here, beautiful stirring journey through space.

9. Cities That Fall
Sophia again, using the stronger side to her voice, in an epic-feeling song.

10. Abstract Sky
11. Petrunka's Dream
Both drifting, lilting pieces, hardly songs at all, more melodic compositions.

12. First Day Of The Holidays
Back to the jaunty pop Ooberman first became known for, an uplifting song about what it was like to be young in the Summer.

13. Secret World
14. Clearing
Again, back to drifting, lilting compositions, very eastern european, Khachutarian influenced.

15. Summer Nights In June
A final piece of perfect indie pop, Sophia in prefect voice, back to the summer and everything that is/was about Ooberman.

Writing this, I realised how difficult it is to really describe the songs on this album, or categorise what sort of music it is. There are some great twists on the pop genre, but also some much deeper, darker instrumental pieces, and some Bowie-esque journeys into space and other worlds thrown in.

Hey Petrunko is full of classical influences, particularly eastern european, and it takes a few listens to really get what is going on. some songs are hardly there on first hearing, but they grow and develop, little melodies catch in your mind that weren't there at first.

Think Blur, think Lightning Seeds, Bowie, Khatchutarian, Simon and Garfunkel, Beatles, Queen, well the list could go on but I'll stop there. Buy the Running Girl EP for an easy intro if you want, or get The Magic Treehouse first and follow the journey of a band that shold have made it, perhaps could have made it, but maybe chose to stay true to the music the way they wanted it instead.