Release Date: September 30, 2022
Genre: Pop Rock, Synthpop
Label: Rude Records
France-based pop rock trio OAKMAN are back with their brand spanking new EP, SCP -an acronym for sugar-coated pill. SCP is the follow-up to their sophomore EP, Plastic World (2018) and their debut EP, Waterscape (2016), and with these six new songs, the band showcases a further maturity in their always evolving sound. The trio has been going strong since 2016, and OAKMAN consists of vocalist and guitarist Marine, bassist Geremia, and drummer Jesse. Following the release of their debut EP, the band began to tour across not only France but also England, Italy, Japan, the United States, and a few other countries and built a loyal fanbase wherever they had the chance to perform these past six years. They have even opened for bands such as Enter Shikari, ZZ Top, Basement, and Bukowski. OAKMAN's new six tracks featured on SCP feature lyricism that tackles their thoughts that stem from the pandemic, health, sexual abuse and assault, love, and more. It's an eclectic assemblage of tunes. Both dark and upbeat, the songs are quite the departure from their past efforts and are as personal as they've ever written. Songs such as "Night" reflect on the fleeting moments of life that we tend to take for granted and remind us to live in these moments and enjoy life. "Night" was a song written in a single day after vocalist/guitarist Marine found out she may have a serious health problem. "Murder" is one of the most profound tracks on the album, which tackles sexual abuse and all the emotions related to it. Marine wanted to represent the hatred, anger, and sadness that the trauma of these things can leave on one's life. Whereas the title track, "SCP," is a little bit more on the "fun side" while still deeply serious. A song written about the fear of loneliness and not being loved at all costs. The song was inspired during the pandemic lockdowns when Marine was binge-watching a series called Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Sonically, OAKMAN pushes their sound significantly forward from what they dabbled in on their past EPs. Without a doubt, they're taking musical risks on SCP, but I believe they will pay off greatly for the trio for years to come. On SCP, OAKMAN delivers striking and notable maturity to their sound, and it's certainly a noticeable divagation of sound. All of the tracks are strongly backed by their core pop-punk roots. The trio incorporated some inklings of pop rock and strong '80s synthpop influences into their overall sound. No matter the subject matter on these six tracks, they're all upbeat in some nature. Songs like "Night" and "Fantasy" are disco-esque and synth-riddled arrangements. Darker songs like "Murder" are infectious, synth bass-driven numbers with unforgettable melodies and dreamy instrumentals. While tracks like "SCP" and "All The Way Up" are very guitar-driven and straight-to-the-point pop rock compositions. Then you have your emotionally driven, slower-tempo tracks, such as "Lucky Charm," to cleanse the palette of listeners.
