Album Review: Oceans of Slumber – Starlight and Ash (Century Media Records)

Texas-based ‘New Southern Gothic’ outfit Oceans of Slumber are back with their brand-new album, Starlight and Ash. The follow-up to 2020’s adored self-titled album, Starlight and Ash will be released on July 22nd, 2022.

Few can say they have created their own sub-genre, but Oceans of Slumber certainly can. Showcasing what they call ‘New Southern Gothic’, Starlight and Ash is the final piece in the puzzle when it comes to defining what this band is. Even if categorising them is still incredibly difficult.

Who cares about that though? The important question is simply if the music is good. If the music touches and resonates with the person listening.

Of course, that’s going to come down to the individual, but Oceans of Slumber have certainly aimed for something with a much broader appeal here. Rock and pop, tinged by goth, warped by the romanisation of that sound and delivered by creatively inspiring instrumentation and the stunning vocals of Cammie Beverly. If the rest of the band are the heart of this music, she is the soul.

There’s a lot of words that flit through the mind while Starlight of Ash plays out. One is beauty. Another is heartfelt. One is expressive. Another is eloquent. One more is unexpected. The latter coming from Oceans of Slumber’s cinematic story-telling that exists on this album. A harrowing story about a fictitious coastal town and the struggles that go on in and around it. Something that enhances the listening experience as you follow along and hear the lyrical content clearly.

If you’re expecting something heavy, look elsewhere. This is an album that leans much more towards light rock and pop. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have bite. It’s just that the bites are coming from unexpected, slightly gloomy, places.

The thing that is most important here is how Starlight of Ash echoes through the mind, body, and soul. Everyone benefits from Oceans of Slumber finding themselves and their strength in their music suggests it’s only a matter of time before an even wider and varied audience discovers them too. That there, is worth celebrating.

Oceans of Slumber – Starlight of Ash Full Track Listing:

1. The Waters Rising
2. Hearts of Stone
3. The Lighthouse
4. Red Forest Roads
5. The Hanging Tree
6. Salvation
7. Star Altar
8. The Spring of 21
9. Just A Day
10. House of the Rising Sun
11. The Shipbuilders Son

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