If you haven't had the pleasure of listening to Oceansize before, then let me explain them to you. Combine a bit of Cave In, Elbow, Tool, Pink Floyd and King Crimson and 5 years of very hard work paying off and you get Oceansize. Named the 'best unsigned band' in Manchester, but escaping the 'Madchester' scene, thankfully, in their younger years and went from strength to strength and got signed to the highly respectable Beggars Banquet label.

They called the album 'Effloresce' after mass debate (what?! - ED) and after finding out what it means you can't ask why ("to burst forth into or as if into a flower blossoming") and as their music floats out of your speakers you know it's a beautiful word, for a beautiful album.

The album starts with the instrumental 'I am The Morning' which starts with a twinkle and surges off like a firework. 'Catalyst' follows and begins with some crazy sounds deliberately trying to destruct the song but failing as the drum beat stays strong and shakes off all influence the guitars could have. It takes several different shapes and forms and finally settles. I've had the album for a month now and I've listened to it loads but it still manages to take me by suprise somewhere. It's chaotic but controlled and I bloody love it.

'One Day All This Could Be Yours' grooves around like the electronic rock thing it is, featuring a massive riff. The 10 minute epic 'Massive Bereavement' starts off eery and has a dramatic sea change with a TIDELWAVE of a riff, huger than those that stood before it and features a fucking marvel of a lyric, "what a way to go/ we're still running for a bus that we missed years ago". The drumming is awesome and the time signature changes present through the album are just so amazing you're almost expecting the drummer to explode at various points...

'Rinsed' is a blissed instrumental that I loved instantly (considering I hated this album first listen that says a lot). Like others in its genre it is a bit hard to get into, but give it the time and show some patience and you'll love it. 'Amputee' is another instant hit, but I'll get onto that later... 'You Wish' is like jumping into a freezing swimming pool on a blistering hot day, it's just such a difference from 'Rinsed' and also features some of my favourite lyrics "So cold, so proud, you were always running away..." and later, "...Drinking, becoming someone else... You just wish for an exit". 'Effloresce' is one of those albums that if you had to choose one song off of it to put on a compilation tape you just couldn't.

'Remember Where You Are' is a good example of Oceansize's sound but it's easy to forget considering 'Amputee' follows it. It's one of Oceansize's more poppier songs, you'll love it straight away - it gave me the perservearance and stamina to listen to the album again and give it that one more try before I dedicated my hate to it. So I'm extremely greatful to it for that but the fact that it's an awesome song too makes me not mind so much when it takes my heart. I'll just find a donor I guess...

Following on from that the album slows it's pace down slightly and ends with the awesome 'Long Forgotten' and it's the perfect 'driving home late at night in the dark' song.

First impressions aren't everything, all the classics take a while to appreciate and personally I think this is easily the best band in the Uk right now.

Craig Sharp