I Google everything. I even Googled myself once, and was ashamed to admit it until I found out the vast majority of my own friends had done the same thing. When I sat down to do a piece on the L.A.- based band, Oslo, I had no idea what I was in for. I like to try to get as much information on a band before I can critique their work, and Google.com is usually my tool of choice. What I found was, essentially, doing a search on Google for a band with a name like Oslo is virtually impossible. It’s like trying to find more information on a band called The United States of America (Thankfully, there isn’t one by that name as of yet. If there ever is and I have to review their record, I’m going to be screwed).
After I ran out of patience trying to sift through the 675,000 pages Google retrieved (and these were only the ones in English), I decided to give in and just listen. While Oslo doesn’t generate much energy, they do create enough heat to keep a listener’s ears warm on their full-length, self-titled debut. For just over a year now, Oslo has been building up steam in their hometown of L.A., and touring across the U.S.
Reminiscent of The Church and the Psychedelic Furs, the band’s sound pays homage to some of the darker, greater bands of the past few decades. Lead singer Mattia Borrani’s voice drags at times, but is a perfect fit to their slow-paced think-rock. The first single, “Minute Gun,” is a good choice for a debut to the rest of the world. While a little more upbeat and radio-friendly then the rest of the LP, the track should serve as a smooth introduction to new fans. Sleepy and deep, it is easy to see why Oslo has become one of L.A.’s most talked about bands this year.
