Poison Oak - Open My Eyes (self-released)

Some old, seasoned music scenesters tell of a mythical sweet spot where pop, rock, and indie perfectly mix. It is a place that many need help finding their way to; some never do, erring too much on the shallow side of pop, straying too far towards the bullishness of rock, or falling for the indie trap of believing in their hype. But, should you be skilful enough to find your way to this fabled place, the one thing that I can assure you is that you will find Poison Oak there waiting for you when you do.

“Open My Eyes” is almost a masterclass in how to take the best elements of each genre and merge, meld, and match them into a song that ticks all the requisite boxes. It has the accessibility and infectiousness of pop; listen to that chorus and tell me that you aren’t joining in by the second time it comes around. There is a lightness to the layering, the right balance of tone and texture that comes from a more indie realm but there is also enough drive and weight to keep the more broad-minded rockers happy too.

But perhaps it isn’t what they embrace but what they avoid from each of those genres that is just as crucial. If pop is often a lowest common denominator form, a throwaway style of music, then Poison Oak makes throwaway songs that you are going to want to play forever. If rock is often filled with cliches and bombast, these are left behind in Poison Oaks’ take on the genre. And if indie music is all too often found checking its complicated hair in the mirror and adopting a cooler-than-thou aloofness, here it is nothing less than open, accessible, and full of fun.

Poison Oak does more than write songs; it takes all the best bits from the last thirty years of popular music and bring them together in one place. How do I know? I just gave “Open My Eyes” a spin. And you should too.

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