Hailing from Cedar Falls, Iowa Oakland are a band consisting of Sam Heithoff (Guitar and Vocals), Jeff Hinton (Bass), Jefferson Fosbender (Drums, Vocals, and Harmonica), and Tom Madsen (Guitar, Piano, Mandolin, and Banjo).
They started off as a cover band but began writing original songs and released Between Now and November. The album contains thirteen songs and is mix between folk, americana and rock. The band has some talent in a number of areas. I thought the songwriting was solid throughout and kept me interested. They start with with “Cross My Heart” which is revolves around a classic mix of harmonica, acoustic guitar, drums and bass. It’s a familiar sounding song with catchy melodies. For the most part the song delivers expect there are a couple instance where they do get out of the pocket. Up next is “Cartographer” which is another catchy solid song while “Amelia” has contains heartfelt singing and handclaps. The songs are fairly consistent in terms of delivery and songwriting. They did a good job keeping me interested although you could make the argument thirteen tracks with no filler was a little long for this type of album. The vocal harmonies on “Monuments” were exceptional and enjoyed the nostalgia of “Waking Up” The biggest issue I had was with the production/recording quality. Even with the most basic setup there are things you can do to help improve the mixes. The vocals were often on top of the mix instead of resting in it. This is a balancing issue that can usually be solved with a fader and a tinge of compression. That is just one example but my point is that one of their priorities on their next release should be improving the production/recording quality whether it's going into a studio or learning more about engineering. Overall, I liked this album mainly because of the performance and songwriting. It wasn't the most original music I have heard in the last couple of months but fans of folk, americana and roots music will appreciate what is offered.
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