Antoine Cayouette and Philippe Rondeau-Gauthier are Ollivon. The duo from Québec took a little over a year to release the self-produced and self-titled six-song EP Ollivon. I would describe the music as uplifting acoustic rock. There were times that I was reminded of Local Natives.
The EP opens with “Flow.” You are greeted with a dreamy piano melody that is quickly disrupted by a beautiful picking pattern. A steady kick drum creates a build in energy which explodes into the verse. The song felt very positive as the vocalist sings, “Once I’ve realized, It’s a state of mind, (it’s a state of mind), I felt a spark rushing through me, And breached the veil that made me blind.” The orchestral strings were well implemented by giving a layer of melancholy to the music. As the song progress it builds to a crescendo and then slowly dissipates. Up next is “Dusk” which is perhaps a little more pop oriented. It felt a little more radio friendly to me. The vocals are the anchor here despite the instrumentation also feeling quite full. “Brume” was a highlight. The orchestral strings again create an interesting dichotomy between the other elements. I also felt that the different type of vocal treatment paid off. I’m not crazy about guitar solos as they often seem to be cliche but I thought the brief one after the two-minute mark was really well implemented. “Ollivon Lake” was divided into two parts. The first half of the song is almost a constant build that contains some of the most intense moments on the album. I thought the second half was serene and tranquil. The addition of waves was the aspect that made me want to take a nap. “The Sky Clears” is very motivational sounding while “Summer Rain” far and away tries to be the most cosmically epic song that also implements vocal samples. The duo do a great job creating a signature sound with these songs. I did have some preferences and thought a song like “Flow” displayed their strength in being able to combine motivational and hopeful sounds without sounding forced or just too much. Overall, this is a solid release and encourage you to give this a spin.
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