OCEAN OF LOTION – LouiLouiLoui

Saucy, entertaining, eclectic, and above all highly uplifting, the sparkling new opus by Ocean of Lotion is the kind of thing that is impossible not to dance to unless you are a sourpuss or completely dead inside. What you get is synth-driven pop containing catchy melodies, an endless supply of golden hooks, quirky lyrics that are either brilliant or mad, and some excellent rock riffs that add a bit of crunch and edge to the proceedings. I could easily see fans of early Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and perhaps even Kim Wilde digging this stuff, and I must admit that it is totally working and doing the trick for me when traveling along the coast on a grey, rain-filled Thursday such as today. Its charm and easy-going vibe are appealing yet there are touches of melancholy to be found too, which is exemplified by the well-written ‘I Don’t Only Have Eyes for You’. On the other hand, ‘Made in Taiwan’ feels like pure escapism and fun, so there are some good contrasts to be discovered throughout and the songs generally complement each other incredibly well and make for a diverse and interesting listen. ‘Skinny White Pants’ rocks like a motherfucker with its stomping rhythm and ‘Cats in Space on Synthesizers’ is a stroke of comically dystopian genius. Actually, if outfits such as Major Parkinson (think their latest record), Dobbeltgjenger, and the legendary Sparks get you high then LouiLouiLoui is undoubtedly something that you ought to look into. I must have listened to the disc ten times now and it keeps growing on me. Very cool stuff.