Ozarks by Ozarks

Five years in the making, Ozarks (Robbie Augspurger and Eric Adrian Lee) emerge with their debut full length LP! A self-titled fifteen track long player filled with nostalgic pop tunes reminiscent of the baroque pop movement of the late sixties and early seventies. Dynamic arrangements filled with lush orchestration and musical precision accompany Robbie's sentimental (and sometimes humorous) lyrics. Track one ("I'm Never Bored") starts off the album with an easy-going pastoral arrangement emphasized by a church-like organ and minimal accompaniment to set the mood of things to come. Jumping right into the breathtaking "Strong as Death" - A dark piano-driven track that builds into a dense barrage of staccato notes and percussion that takes you into the panorama of deep Italian cinema territory. Throughout the album, there are many winks and nods to soundtracks, library records and albums of the past, due to the band's obsession with collecting obscure vintage LPs. References to composers, bands and songwriters like Ennio Morricone, Harry Nilsson, Badfinger, Lee Hazlewood and Serge Gainsbourg can be found here. The result of pouring all these influences into one album makes for an extremely entertaining listen. The first single from the album, "Pyramids of Love" (previously released on a split 7" with Davis Hooker) is a short but sweet bouncy chamber-pop number featuring somewhat absurdist lyrics about love and prison. Despite the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, Robbie manages to maintain a heartfelt sincerity in all of his songs whether they are personal or comical. Robbie's ability to mix light and dark is one of his main strengths as a songwritter, adding character charm and to his unique blend of music. With lyrics like "May Socrates rise from the grave on the Ides of March" delivered in a breathy falsetto voice that floats above dark choirs, heavy organs, pounding drums and atmospheric guitar riffs, you get a pretty good idea of how comfortable the band is with blending serious musical ideas and playful lyrics. Other stand out tracks from the album are "Out of Tune", with it's early 70's guitar exploitation, "Strange Trees" with it's ear-catching complexities and colorful melodies, and the soft liturgical groove of "As I lay Sleeping". Emotive and compelling songs filled with feeling as well as a sense of humor make up this stunning debut release! Super highly recommended material! Don't miss out!


All purchases will also receive three Ozarks desktop graphics for your home computer, a digital lyric book, the “Pyramids of Love” music video and a handful of weird Ozarks related photo galleries!

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