Oak - 2018 - False Memory Archive

(54:50; Karisma Records)

Track list:
1. We, the Drowned 5:23
2. Claire de Lune 7:15
3. False Memory Archive 4:47
4. Lost Causes 8:29
5. Intermezzo 1:42
6. The Lights 10:33
7. There Are the Stars We're Looking For 4:18
8. Transparent Eyes 4:58
9. Psalm 51 7:25

Line-up:
Simen Valldal Johannessen - vocals, piano, keyboards
Öystein Sootholtet - bass, guitars, banjo, keyboards, programming
Sigbjörn Reiakvam - drums, percussion, keyboards, programming
with:
Stephan Hvinden - guitars
Ole Michael Björndal - guitars
Björn Riis - guitars
Steinar Refsdal - saxophone


Prolusion.
Norwegian band Oak first appeared back in 2013, with their debut album "Lighthouse" as their initial studio production. Two more albums have appeared since then, with "The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise" being the most recent of these. Their second album "False Memory Archive" dates back to 2018, and was released through Norwegian label Karisma Records.

Analysis.
While Norway does have a fairly strong scene as far as progressive rock goes, I'm actually not aware of what position Oak does have in terms of international appeal. But if the songs on this album are an indication of anything, then it is that whatever stature this band has managed to achieve so far isn't at the level that the band deserves.

The material we get on this production is of the widely appealing variety, music that probably will appeal just as much among fans of indie rock as progressive rock, and music that should appeal to those fond of careful compositions making good use of subtle effects to get the point across in particular.

Soft and elegant are the calling cards of this band. The piano will often have a central position in the songs, the acoustic guitar appears to be just as important, and the electric guitar will often have a more subservient and supporting role. With occasional dips into impact-oriented riffs, dreamladen and atmospheric laden blues-tinged floating guitar solo details as well as a one-off venture into territories of the kind that begs for post-rock to be name-dropped as a genre influence. With soft, clean and well controlled melodic lead vocals floating like clouds on top.

What makes this band and this album interesting is that they explore these subtle and careful landscapes in an innovative manner. We do get quite a few landscapes with more of a melancholic spirit, and the surges into more jubilant territories are very much present and accounted for, but Oak also showcase that soft, elegant and compelling compositions doesn't mean that everything has to be sugar-coated. On quite a few occasions they use this approach to create haunting arrangements with a more ominous undercurrent, making good use of impact riffs to add nerve and tension, and with layered arrangements also adding a majestic and powerful dimension to the landscapes explored. With what might be a little bit of a jazz impulse sneaking its way into one of the songs, and with a creative use of electronics and effects to add emphasis and additional impact as a recurring element throughout.

This album had a five year long creation process, and the quality of the songs indicates that these are compositions that have been thoroughly worked with in that period. Some a bit more than others perhaps, but there's nothing on this album that sounds superfluous, and given that many of the songs are fairly different from one another on some core levels I do get the impression that a bit of effort has gone into making this production come across as an album experience too, as this is a production that all too easily might have come across as just a selection of songs.

Conclusion.
While we do get quite a few keyboards on this album, including the Mellotron unless I'm much mistaken, as a whole I find this production to be more in line with those who prefer their progressive rock to come with a liberal inclusion of melodic rock elements. The ebb and flow of the songs and the shifts in mood, atmosphere and intensity maintains the core progressive rock ideals quite nicely, but this is also an album consisting of songs that would have fared very well on just about any melodic rock radio station you are aware of. A production to seek out if you tend to enjoy progressive rock of the kind that comes with a wide and broad appeal, and that makes use of subtle and careful rather than dramatic and flamboyant details to create mesmerizing and appealing landscapes.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, January 2024

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/oakinoslo/
https://www.karismarecords.no/