Oleskies - ​Ole-Skeez

Oleskies

​Ole-Skeez
​self-released; 2017

3.7 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

People have described the recent EP Ole​-​Skeez by Oleskies “as having an old-school sound reminiscent of late ‘60s blues rock.” I’d say that's a pretty accurate description (but might include some ’90s influence as well). Sure you can say something like the band sounds similar to The Black Keys on this song but guess who those guys were influenced by.

​I can’t say that Caleb Hamilton (vocals/guitar), Connor Dille (bass) and Thomas Burke (drums) of Oleskies aren’t pushing boundaries with this album. The songs were straightforward and familiar sounding to me. On that note the delivery and songwriting is notable and ultimately what made this a good EP.

They keep it simple on the production side as well. I do like to hear unexpected surprises on this front but the band decided to have the album stripped back which still worked fine.

The band opens with “Bebop Pop” which launches out of the gate. Within the first two minutes the band pulls out moves from the rock 101 handbook with John Bonham inspired drum fills and blues style breakdown session which in this case reminded me of the Black Crowes.

The first song felt firmly rooted in ’70s Zeppelin-esque but the “Lonely Hearted Guy” felt a little more submerged within ’90s rock. That being said the guitar solo was very bluesy. “Trouble” is a slower more reflective song where the vocals really shine while “Stuck In The Window” has the same kind of badass vibe as “Radar Love.” They close strong with “Hide It” which is an emotional song with extended instrumental sections.

The band is solid and they build a strong foundation with the EP. My only suggestion it that the band think about how else they can differentiate themselves. The simple fact is that there are a lot of bands out there that sound similar and doing something that can differentiate yourself from the crowd is a good thing in my opinion.

Overall, this EP was dynamic and well delivered. Recommended.

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