Long Gone and Nearly There

Julie Ocean | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 27, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Transit of Venus Records
• ASIN: B0016OM40S
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,102 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Just because a CD will hold 80 minutes of music doesn t mean it should! Ten songs totaling just over 25 minutes in length, the debut album from D.C.-based quartet Julie Ocean makes a case for fast over fatuous, poppy over prog, and concise over complicated.

The record is underpinned by a taut, frenetic energy reminiscent of Dag Nasty and The Descendents, is infused with the casual chaos of primetime Guided By Voices and Pavement and contains undeniable elements of sweet 60s pop coupled with the searing melodicism of late 70s heroes The Jam and The Undertones (from whom the band takes its name).

The band consists of several well-known D.C. indie veterans including guitarist/singer Jim Spellman, a member of 90s alterna-faves Velocity Girl, who released three top selling albums on the Sub Pop label. Other bandmembers include ex-members of The Saturday People (Slumberland Records), Tree Fort Angst (Bus Stop), Glo-Worm (K Records), Swiz, Severin (Dischord) and the post-Government Issue outfit, Weatherhead.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great debut, May 13, 2008

By 

Barney (Hermosa Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Long Gone And Nearly There (MP3 Download)

After reading a bunch of glowing reviews of this album, I was intrigued enough to set about securing an "advance copy." I'm glad I did because this album rules. It's chock full of impossibly uptempo songs with hooks galore and clever (but not in a "Hey, check me out, I'm smart" way) lyrics. The consensus seems to be that this is power pop, but I disagree. Power pop, to me, is stuff like 20/20 or Shoes, bands that had one or two good songs but made unlistenable albums full of boring, mid-tempo love songs with 82 guitar overdubs per track and really treacly vocals. Julie Ocean have a lot more in common with punk rock than power pop (which makes sense, given that their drummer was in Swiz). The way these two minute songs keep coming at you relentlessly reminds me of The Ramones or Buzzcocks rather than Badfinger. What sets "Long Gone and Nearly There" apart from your average Ramones retread, however, are the complex harmonies and intricate lead guitar lines. The vaguely Husker Du-ish (circa "Zen Arcade") "Ten Lonely Words" has been stuck in my head for a week and doesn't show signs of leaving any time soon. The rest of the bunch are equally good. "Number One Song" fuses Byrdsian harmonies with crashing guitars. Think The Records meets Ride. Track three, "My Revenge" with its irresistible "ooh, ooh, oohs" could be a hit with the mall punks if Julie Ocean weren't so long in the tooth. "At the Appointed Hour" sounds like The Monkees on crystal meth. Track five, "Here Comes Danny" sticks out like a sore thumb here due to its five-minute length. Amazingly, it never drags, starting out with a cool, tremolo guitar part before launching into a catchy Tom Robinson Band-esque exploration of the ups and downs of a same-sex romance. "Bright Idea" resumes the uptempo assault and throws in some nice carnival-style organ as well. Track seven, "Complications" might just be my favorite song on here. The music is nice and smooth and the harmonies are gorgeous and then, all of a sudden, it takes a hard left turn into a Who-like bridge before finishing out the song by reprising the sweet-sounding intro. "Ebb & Flow" is another winner, marrying driving punk rock with nearly falsetto vocals. As an added bonus, the lyrics name check the first three Wire albums. Track nine, "There's A Place" sounds like The Beatles and lulls the listener into a state of relaxation that is quickly disrupted by the album's closer, "Looking At Me/Looking At You," which is pure, melodic punk rock. Order it already.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of 08's best, June 19, 2008

By 

Scott Waldon "middle-aged indie rock guy" (benicia, ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Long Gone and Nearly There (Audio CD)

I'd probably go 5 stars except it's only 25 minutes long and there are 2 songs I don't particularly care for. However, the rest; they nailed it. Call it what you wish; power punk pop for me. Echoes of Buzzcocks, Undertones abound but they make it their own. Slightly less caustic than the Buzzcocks, a bit more melodic. Can't miss tracks include #1 Song, Here Comes Danny, Complications, and Looking At Me. Thanks guys; great cover art too, and well chosen name (from a great, and more mellow Undertones tune). Looking forward to what comes next.

5.0 out of 5 stars Too Long Gone, July 20, 2008

By 

Gruntled (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Long Gone and Nearly There (Audio CD)

At last it's back-- Intelligent lyrics, great sound with echoes of punk, The Monkees, Fountains of Wayne, and other influences. Short, snappy, to the point cuts with the brevity and impact of REM. All in all, a terrific sound from a new band.