Oso Oso isn’t so so in newest album

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By: Julien Khurey

Staff writer

Approaching the new album “Basking in the Glow” by Oso Oso, I didn’t have any expectations of quality or even an idea of what to expect musically. Little did I know I was in for a spacey upbeat emo cut album that expresses love, isolation and self-consciousness. In the song “intro” Jade Lilitri foreshadows the romantic crash landing to come with the lyrics “Got my hand in your hand and my head in the clouds.”

The rest of the album follows those themes, but the upbeat nature of the tracks keep them from being repetitive. Instead, the album was tight and consistent, showing a project that was thoughtfully curated. A tough feat for a full-length album in a short attention span streaming era.  The track “basking in the glow” really stood true to its title even though the topics at times can hit close to home for any young couple or recent exes. You can’t help but nod along with the feeling of hope. “These days, it feels like all I know is this phase I hope I’m basking in the glow”. Even though this emotional state is all he knows Lilitri acknowledges that it’s all just a phase.

I can’t say there are any low points on the project, however, with that being said the wheel wasn’t exactly reinvented either. The obvious emo band topics were the backbone of every track. For example, “I’m trying to find my own two feet I was leaning on something I was leaning on nothing” from the track “a morning song”. The balanced writing really saved the subject matter from sounding cliché and instead ended up being a bit refreshing. Some songs ended up being replayed more than others but a complete play through without skips didn’t feel like a chore, unlike most albums I’ve listened to as of late. A few high points on this album are 

 the tracks “the view,” “a morning song” and “basking in the glow.” Those tracks have found a permanent spot in my playlist and I’m expecting that list to grow with more listens put into the album. If you like guitar-driven instrumentals than that may be another reason to dive into Oso Oso’s new cut. Even for those being introduced to the emo sound, “Basking in the Glow” sounds like a mature effort in creating an album that neither compromises nor sounds like a hard to digest project. Instead it sounds like an amazing balance of artist and listener experience that even a new audience can understand and appreciate. “Yeah, there’s this hole in my soul, So how far do you wanna go?” If you are willing to take that plunge you will be rewarded with amazing beautiful guitar riffs and refreshingly honest lyrics. The wheel wasn’t reinvented, but instead polished off for a smooth ride. 8.5 out of 10.