Customer Reviews

Oomalama

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

well since this came out some years past i had lost my copy and luckly found one here.this album is just a great one .hosted by our favorite sonic mello frontman eugene kelly from the awesome scottish band the vaselines.on this he kind of continues with the same frame of music great sonic pop but takes it a couple of steps further with some fine musicians and great production.the sound is like a mellow day in the sunshine.full of great sonic lazypop to dance the day away.so at the time this could of easily been a huge album in 92(but the hit song butter milk came out 1 year to late) .other great sing along ones are bye bye bye(not nysc silly)oomalama,down on me,.so if you like are into the likes of maybe sonic youth meets teenage fanclub with a little mix of drug dream pop.this is one to track down.youll hopefull enjoy it like i did....

Eugenius has a gem in their debut album, 'Oomalama'. The songs are catchy, the lyrics are solid, and in the midst of the grunge explosion of the early 90's (which bandleader Eugene Kelly had something to do with by the way), manage to create a sound that's totally their own. The album starts with "Oomalama", a hysterical yet beautiful song about....well it doesn't matter, it makes you laugh and feel kind of weird. This sets the tone for the entire album, with catchy pop songs like the shining "I'm the Sun", the spiteful "Flame On", and the tender "Buttermilk". The album ends with a grand version of Beat Happening's ballad, "Indian Summer". Eugenius' version is definitely the superior of the two, and second only to The Phlughe's masterful interpretation. With a few listens, it will be easy to see why Kurt Cobain and Nirvana (among others), were influenced by the songwriting of Eugene Kelly and the Vaselines. But ul! timately, experiencing the music of Eugenius' 'Oomalama' will be (considering their commercial obscurity) a personal one, and something that no one will ever be able to take away from you. Enjoy.

This band has been overlooked. Now that they're cheap, you owe it to yourself to take a ride with these aliens. Eugenius developed a melodious-rock presence, without saturating themselves in shmaltz. Savor these delectable tunes, yet savor them without prejudice or salsa. Just let them cruise through your ears and into your brain. In the process, you will, like me, become "happy again."

Any fan of pop in the vein of Teenage Fanclub or the like will NOT be disappointed by this. I was not very familiar with the Vaselines and will definetly check them out but one thing that strikes me the most about this CD, besides the catchy hooks, is the sincerity of the lyrics. It's like I can feel the emotion coming through, something not common. To me, I can listen to either the Flaming Lips or Eugenius when I am sad, and it is impossible not to be in a good mood afterwards. The only bad part is they only have two albums! What happened? I like Mary Queen of Scots too, but to me it is more down tempo than Oomalama

This CD rates high on the replayability index. From the first song, "Oomalama," it remonstrates with mantric urgency, granting you purposeful anticipation of joy. This is a CD that will be played loud and played often.

I didn't get my hopes too high for this album, thinking that Eugenius would falter in comparison to the Vaselines. But this album went far above my expectations. The guitars are thicker than on the Vaselines, and the production is tighter, which may be good or bad, depending on who you ask. I think it's great..still has some rawness, though not nearly as much as the Vaselines, and the melodies are just as catchy and perfect.

Before listening to this I would listen to The Vaselines and think they weren't anything special, but the songs on here click so well that the songs from The Vaselines make more sense too. I love this album, the guitars, the great melodies all sound like a soundtrack to a summer you wish was still going on but ended years ago. Its too bad this album didn't catch on as I like this as much as Teenage Fanclub, in fact on songs like "Bed-In" I like them even more.

If you like The Vaselines, Teenage Fanclub, Beat Happening (Which Eugenius covers on the album), The Feelies, or R.E.M's Reckoning then get this album as the combination of the guitars with the melodies is almost perfect.

I enjoy indie pop and heard a song or two from this CD elsewhere and thought they weren't bad. However, these songs have been making their way off my iPod pretty quickly. They're pretty average songs and the singer is just not that good. He seems like he's forcing it. It sounds more like your neighbor's mediocre garage band.