There are two types of shoegaze. Type 1: bands with enigmatic melodies caught in gales of feedback, disembodied vocals, adventurous rhythms and bent notes. Type 2: bands with an fx pedal to hide their lack of imagination, a vocalist who mumbles and complete ignorance of basic hairdressing.
Blue Ocean are type 1 shoegaze. The type worth bothering about. A band who listened to Isn't Anything and rather than thinking 'right, what did My Bloody Valentine do next?' thought instead about where they could go next. That MBV's sonic adventure wasn't a blueprint to imitate, but an invitation to explore uncharted territory.
Blue Ocean, like Weekend and Weed Hounds and Wildhoney before them, find new places in the map to plant flags in. Consequently they sound like one of the most vital bands currently operating.
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