oliver's army
Reviewed by: Anthony Vawser
Published: 31 March 2011
ep: self-titled
Artistically spliced together on the sleeve of their debut release, the two gentlemen that make up Oliver’s Army (Barossa twins Ryan and Todd Oliver) appear to resemble a fusion of Ben Lee and Josh Thomas! Whether or not this visual prospect appeals to you, dear reader, let me hasten to add that some outstanding music awaits anyone wise enough to purchase this excellent EP...
A brief, wordless, ominous-yet-enticing intro takes up the first track out of 7 here, and though this could be seen as an easy way to make the EP seem longer than it is (for the benefit of consumers who assume that ‘more’ will equal ‘better’, or at least ‘better value’), it would be picking the tiniest nit to complain about such a minor point; the music is what matters, and it is very fine indeed!
Oliver’s Army demonstrates with the first song here (My Friend, I Feel the Same) that they have the potential to reach the same level of achievement and acclaim as Neil Finn (whom the brothers list as an influence); the song-writing, singing, playing and production here are all that good! The shifts in dynamics are brilliantly handled, the vocals are pitched at the perfect level of sincere-yet-restrained yearning, and the musical atmosphere is akin to floating in a familiar-yet-exciting place...and when the driving drums and guitars kick in, the song blasts right up to 11 then drifts back down again; a most exhilarating opening number.
Help Me Find My Way is a gently skipping, optimistic tune that is dynamic-yet-subtle, and even if not one of the most memorable moments here, it still provides plenty of pleasure; Who Do I Turn To is an acoustic shuffle with earthy vocal harmonies, delivered with a feel that is casual-yet-polished, as well as an engaging structure which gives the song, essentially modest like most of the music here, a barely-noticeable-but-undeniable epic feel that is highly impressive.
I Have Everything opens forcefully and compellingly, then shifts into a rather gorgeously ethereal mood, generated partly by shrewdly comforting lyrics and partly through achingly pretty guitar textures...The following track, entitled Make Me a Bird, achieves a similar level of spiritual yearning, but the closing number, Mother Nature, is one of the more upbeat, straightforward and musically conventional ‘pop’ moments on this collection – that is, until the tempo changes and the song spectacularly transforms into a rousing choral sing-along that concludes the set perfectly.
Ryan and Todd Oliver fully deserve to rise to the top of the pack of fellow musical acts working in a similar style (and let me also say that they come close to matching the excellence of another of their esteemed influences, Irish musician Damien Rice). The innate quality and accessibility of their material, combined with the subtlety and intelligence of their presentation and delivery, makes Oliver’s Army winners in my book, the sort of act that Australian music needs and should be most proud of!
