2. December 2018 – Publisert i Oslo Oscillator, Releases

In a time when old shoegaze favourites reform to play to audiences deprived of music which they can identify with, it is refreshing to hear new acts who are not afraid of making the past their own.

The Norwegian six-piece Oslo Oscillator’s debut album City Nomads is loaded with references to past masters, whether it is the textured pop productions of the 60s or the hazy guitars of the golden era of indie rock. Breezy pop tunes interchange with swerving soundscapes. Old amps and organs crackle, as harmonies, noise and shy vocals cloak the ears of the listeners. Stereolab and Slowdive are some obvious references from the same musical neighbourhood.

Thematically, however, the album is focused on more distant locations, with Southern Africa representing a seemingly undrainable reservoir of nostalgia and inspiration for songwriter, vocalist and chief nomad Kåre Eriksen. On City Nomads Eriksen oscillates between past and present, Cape Town and Oslo, faith and faithlessness, lamenting a time lost. The result is hauntingly nostalgic, recognizable and a thing of beauty.