Older Than Oceans – Everything I Never Told You
Older Than Oceans is a 5 piece alternative punk rock band from Long Island, NY. Being a Long Island native myself, it is exciting to get the chance to write about a band from my neck of the woods. I got the chance to catch Older Than Oceans when they played with We Were Sharks, Boys of Fall and Sink the Ship this past Saturday at Revolution Bar & Music Hall. While I was there, I picked up their new EP, Everything I Never Told You, and it is definitely worth a listen!
Older Than Ocean’s debut EP released in 2015 is great; it has all of the elements of alternative punk rock that the band strived for. Despite that, when I listen to that EP I hear a band that is still trying to find their own sound and style. The new EP, Everything I Never Told You, is the EP in which Older Than Ocean’s perfected their sound. The EP is a 5 song album that rocks from start to finish. I got the chance to talk with Nick DiPace (guitars/backing vocals) who gave me some insight into the making of the EP. This EP was not originally planned as a concept EP, but Nick found that placing the songs in a chronological order allowed each songs lyrics to tell a story. “Its a concept EP of a relationship starting out really good, then crashing and burning and at the end, you’re alone and you don’t know what to do with yourself.” Knowing that the EP wasn’t originally planned as a concept EP makes it that much better!
Merritt, the first song on the album, is a fast paced song that is the perfect opener. The song introduces the listener to everything that Older Than Ocean’s is. Merritt has the sound and style of a punk rock band with guitar riffs that have a hardcore undertone, similar to that of bands like Four Year Strong & Set Your Goals. The chorus resonates a happy, supportive relationship. “Oh you’ll never be alone, your feet are made of stone, as long as I’m looking at the world, you’ll never be alone, cause you are just what I’m searching for, never been so juxtaposed before!” The contagious chorus that makes you want to sing your heart out paired with the killer transition between the chorus and the verses will make every listener wish they were going nuts in the crowd at one of Older Than Ocean’s shows!
Fault Lines follows up Merritt. Fault Lines is a song about the trials and tribulations of a failing relationship, and overcoming those obstacles. “But the devils in the details, I’ve read them all between the lines, I found out all your little secrets, everything you’ve tried to hide through time. You can call me what you will, but I’ve been trying harder every day, to shake the thought of you, the little that remains.” The instrumentals of the song accentuates the difficulties of the relationship, as it has a darker, deeper sound than the upbeat instrumentals of Merritt.
Something to be noted about this EP is the smooth and seemingly effortless transitions between each song. Fault Lines flows perfectly into Buildups & Breakdowns (my personal favorite song on the EP). Older Than Ocean’s goes back to the fast paced, commanding instrumentals heard on the opening song of the EP and ends with a hard-hitting mini breakdown that keeps you wanting more! The song shows the continuous buildup and breakdown of someone stuck in an unhealthy and failing relationship. You can hear the emotion in Tom Taglianetti’s (vocals) voice as he bellows out “I can’t fight it, it keeps pulling me in; though I’ve tried it, I still watch you crawl back, why do I do this to myself? I let you crawl back, back from the arms of someone else, but lately I feel better, but lately I feel better off without you.”
Turning Points and Standing Still are the final two songs on Everything I Never Told You. Fault Lines tells the story of a person that is completely cemented in the same old rut, although you’d never know it based off the upbeat instrumentals of the song. It’s great to see that Older Than Ocean’s is able to incorporate lyrics that have a somber feel to them and place them over instrumentals that give off a somewhat optimistic vibe. “Stuck in place behind these boundary lines, glued with grief that I have kept through time, I’m finding faith is slightly out of reach, and I am grabbing at nothing but air.” Standing Still, the final song on the EP, has a completely different feel from the rest. The instruments are no longer as hopeful as the previous songs, demonstrating the loneliness that Nick DiPace mentioned. “So give me something that’ll will me, will me, something to help me see those reasons that remind me why I’ve tried so hard, even if it all kills me, kills me, It’s better than waiting here, I’ll admit that I’m so sick of hiding.”
Despite being only five songs, Everything I Never Told You is one that you will have on repeat all day. Older Than Ocean’s captured their unique sound and put it all into the making of this EP! Make sure to catch Older Than Ocean’s as the play at Amityville Music Hall on March 17th with Approaching Troy and Suburban Zombie! In the meantime, be sure to check out their music on Spotify and grab yourself a copy of Everything I Never Told You!