We Are The Ocean; Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow


Words by Ellie Gaudiosi

Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow, the third full length album from We Are The Ocean, has been awaited with much intrigue. The departure of the band’s co-vocalist and screamer Dan Brown, who left the band earlier this year to pursue a more behind the scenes career in the music industry, meant an inevitable change to the band’s sound. The big question was would they be able to create an album that manages to please their existing fan base while still being able to develop their sound and evolve as a four-piece? Well, the answer is, yes.

Unavoidably, the new direction of We Are The Ocean will create a divide among their followers, particularly those who have stuck with them since the early days and the release of their self titled EP back in 2008. The band’s second album, Go Now And Live, moved away from their heavier roots but now with the exit of Brown and his raspy, growling vocals it is official: We Are The Ocean are no longer a post-hardcore band.

The album opens with piano-led prelude Stanford Rivers. The short and sweet opener showcases the softer side of Liam Cromby’s vocals, before leading into the powerful riff of second track, Bleed. Cromby’s vocal, now harsh and commanding, contrasts to what it was in Stanford Rivers, showing off his impressive range and proving himself extremely successful as the band’s only singer. The guitar riffs and catchy chorus make it the highlight of the album, with the likes of Zane Lowe hailing the track his ‘hottest record in the world’ when it was first released.

Young Heart is a sentimental tale of a child longing for parental approval. The personal story is the perfect example of their much more polished sound, a song which wouldn’t sound out-of-place on the Radio 1 playlist. The next track, Story Of A Modern Child, is another radio friendly anthem, which builds up to a chant of ‘We should be who we want to be’, very apt for a band releasing an album with a completely different sound to their norm, rather than what some of the fans would be expecting.

It seems We Are The Ocean have found a format that suits them and stuck to it. Many of the tracks have strong guitar riffs, leading up to big, catchy choruses that are infectious. For the most part, they have done this superbly well, but the anthemic nature of tracks such as Bleed, The Road and Golden Gate leave some of the songs a little overshadowed. The verses of Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow builds promises of a big chorus which just doesn’t deliver while Pass Me By does exactly that – passes by as it fails to stand out among the rest of the album.

The final track is a refreshing change to the melodic tone of the album. The only acoustic song of the record, Chin Up, Son, is stripped back to showcase the stunning vocals of Cromby in a way reminiscent of City And Colour.

The number of anthemic moments on Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow, has created an album that is capable of producing a number of hits. The new sound edges more towards mainstream than We Are The Ocean ever have done before, but that doesn’t mean a compromise on quality, and a chart success from this album should be expected and would be well deserved.

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