Mellow vocals and an energetic tempo make The Ocean Blues first track in six years “It Takes So Long” perfect for this cloudy day in NYC. Introspective and philosophical lyrics question whether the lyricist is able to wait any longer. Slightly ambiguous lyricism is great for allowing a wider fanbase to put themselves inside the song. Whether you’re late for a meeting and anxiously waiting for the train or if you’ve experienced heartache that only time will heal then “It Takes so Long” might speak to you. Recently David Schelzel, the songwriter for The Ocean Blue, went on NPR to talk about his methods and confessed that sometime he won’t know what a song is about until after it is written. On top of writing songs he is also a practicing attorney in IP and for a small city in Minnesota. The Ocean Blue are indeed dream pop legends and have gone from recording with Warner Bros to making the songs themselves in home studios. This shows you the kind of changes the recording industry has gone through and it is interesting to listen to a band that has really experienced all of it and continues to make music.
6/22: Lancaster, PA @ Tellus360
6/23: Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
6/27: Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
6/28: Portland, OR @ Holocene
7/26: Minneapolis, MN @ The Fine Line
7/27: Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
8/23: Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
12/6: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
11/17: Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
11/3: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/1: Detroit, MI @ The Magic Bag
10/5: Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java
10/4: Washington, DC @ Union Stage
9/6: Arequipa, PERU @ El QuinQué
9/5: Lima, PERU @ Coco’s Club
8/24: Norfolk, VA @ NorVa