I introduced Norwegian band Oslo Oscillator on here last year (Article Norway Calling ). To refresh the memory: Oslo Oscillator makes- in their own words – “old-school indie pop“, and in doing so, frontman/singer/ songwriter Kåre Eriksen has surrounded himself by his musical circle of friends that he successfully worked with in the past (members of The Loch Ness Mouse, Maribel and Mirror Lakes). I also mentioned a forthcoming album in the aforementioned article, but that still hasn’t seen the light! However, the (not entirely brand-new) song Newlands was, released on Perfect Pop records today: time to catch up with these guys….
Kåre: “Newlands is a Cape Town suburb, and a a hopelessly nostalgic nod to the time when I studied in Cape Town, South Africa and started Oslo Oscillator. It reflects on how leaving everything to go to a new place allow you to redefine who you are, as no one has any preconceptions about which roles you would traditionally fill. Very liberating, but also easy to lose oneself. I was basically driving around for a while in that ridiculously pretty place, being social and lonely at the same time. I do miss it pretty badly. Norway really has got everything, except nice weather, but my student loan dried up so so not really an option staying in Cape Town. I would never be able to gather skilled musicians in South Africa like I have now in Oslo.“
Newlands is a cordial, mid-tempo indie ditty that babbles forth, airy and unpretentious, like a ride in an open top oldtimer, seeing landscapes, colours and life passing by. But at more listens, you will notice some covert chords that give away an underlying current, that is picked up at 1:36 and suddenly throws us off course, into a jaw-droppingly gorgeous maelstrom of melancholy and bittersweet string-phonies. This breathtaking surprise-element seems to be becoming Oslo Oscillator’s trade(bench)mark and definitely is a major reason to go back to the songs repeatedly: with earworm results. Keep those seatbelts fastened at 1:36!
Newlands
And you said that I would come through it
That it never hurts to be cool with
All the roles that you can renew with
Leave your feet to find a new ground
With the Yankees hanging all around
With the mountain forming a backdrop
Cracking Windhoeks in the Obs dive shop
Calling out my friends for a non-stop
Reading Freudian books about faith
To make sense of how you went away
Never dared face up to the poor sides
Passing quickly on the N2
For the hillsides offering a view
It was calling me out for a new life
All because of you
That time was sure to be the best part of my life
Just driving around for a while
And I always loved it in Newlands
With my hatchback bathed in the sun
Just driving around for fun
