Quick Hitters:: Ohvaur

We received an email from an artist stating he was "Asian American raised in Latin America." If that doesn’t at least intrigue you – or make you think of that underground Shinehead gem - surely the fact members of the band have toured with Spoon and The Album Leaf, scored Sundance short films and engineered hardcore mainstays Paint it Black will. Throw in the fact that Timothy Den claims to have family in Vancouver, and let's just say he had us at (extended) hello.

Ohvaur is an organic/electro outfit and without trying to play the sounds-like game, the intense blips and beeps the quartet plays with remind me of the crystalline, glacial textures The Album Leaf or even Azeda Booth use, but they are fused with melodies and subdued vocals that give the songs warmth. On songs like The First "Goodnight" of a Rotting Empire, the double vocals and drums push the electronics into the background but the band can happily move to the other side of the equation (like the mood setting calm they create on the beginning of A Once and Future World Citizen that builds into a robotic surge).

In short, the tracks are intricate and enjoyable. Ohvaur rarely sacrifices melody for complexity - although on a song like Scenery Blurring, they bite off more than they can chew and it takes away from the Radiohead inspired crescendo - and as a result the songs sound as good on speakers as they do in headphones. Need more convincing? Listen to Strangers With History Are Still Strangers and when the chimes and guitar work come in, just sit back and enjoy.

MP3:: Ohvaur - Strangers With History Are Still Strangers
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/ohvaur

Labels: Music