Hailing from California’s Bay Area, Like the Ocean has just completed their first full-length album entitled, The Endless and Unseen. Band members Eric Padilla (guitar/vocals), Jared Duke (bass), John Miller (guitar/vocals), and Kenny Padilla (drums) derived their aquatically-themed name from a lyric in their song “This is the Moment:” “sway and swell like the ocean.”
Even with a name that seems to insinuate a certain kind of calm, the 11-track compilation is actually a pretty consistent mix of high-energy rock. Heavily filled with electric guitar and strong drum beats, from the get-go on The Endless and Unseen, you get a clear idea of what to expect from Like the Ocean on this album.
“Lucy” has a classic rock vibe to it, allowing both Miller and Padilla to share the vocal reins. Miller and Padilla actually do a good deal of vocal sharing on The Endless and Unseen, a nice departure and something uncharacteristic of most bands.
“Won’t You Listen” slows it down just a little, with Miller playing a little more of a funk-style of guitar. “Afterglow” is probably the most mellow song on the album. It’s mainly acoustic guitar-driven until about 2 minutes into the tune when the electric guitar and tambourine come in.
There is one word that comes to mind when I think of Like the Ocean’s music: contagious. Their melodies, their instrumentals are all extremely and consistently contagious. If you’re looking for a song about summer romance or a slow ballad to dance to with your sweetheart, this isn’t the album for you. This is actually one of the few albums I’ve heard in a long time that consists completely of 100% upbeat and charged-up music.
