| Beneath the Rhythm and Sound | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | the Ocean Blue |
| Border: | yes |
| Released: | 1993 |
| Studio: | Compass Point (Nassau) |
| Genre: | Alternative rock |
| Label: | Sire/Reprise |
| Producer: | The Ocean Blue, Kevin Moloney |
| Prev Title: | Cerulean |
| Prev Year: | 1991 |
| Next Title: | Peace and Light EP |
| Next Year: | 1994 |
Beneath the Rhythm and Sound is an album by the American band the Ocean Blue, released in 1993.[1] [2]
The first single, "Sublime", peaked at No. 3 on Billboards Modern Rock Tracks chart.[3] [4] The band supported the album by touring with Suddenly, Tammy![5]
The album was recorded in Nassau, Bahamas.[6] The lyrics were written by lead singer David Schelzel, who wanted to return to the song-based writing of the first album, instead of concentrating mostly on the production.[7] [8]
Trouser Press thought that "the self-produced Beneath the Rhythm and Sound lacks the outside opinion it clearly needed; a more seasoned set of hands could've brought 'Sublime' (which pleads for multi-tracked backing vocals) and 'Either/Or' ... to much fuller fruition."[9] The Washington Post determined that "this Anglophile Pennsylvania quartet cultivates a generalized mid-'80s British guitar-band sound on upbeat tunes like 'Peace of Mind' and 'Sublime', but when the pace slips toward the sauntering the debt to Morrissey and Marr becomes formidable."[10] The Columbus Dispatch called Beneath the Rhythm and Sound "a lush, jangly, alluring collection of rock songs."[11]
The St. Petersburg Times praised "Dave Lau's light sax on 'Bliss is Unaware'."[12] The Philadelphia Inquirer opined that "you'd be hard-pressed to find a record more bland and blanched than the third release from the Ocean Blue... Choosing to set sail on a listless sea of English pop styles, David Schelzel affects the adenoidal mannerisms of New Order's Bernard Sumner, Haircut 100's Nick Heyward, and a host of Postard-label Scottish acts." The Chicago Tribune stated that the band "rings in a subtle alternative rock sound with swirling keyboards." The Record commended "the guitar and keyboard interplay that adds tension to 'Don't Believe Everything You Hear'."
AllMusic wrote: "Leaving behind the mellow minimalism of their first two records, the Pennsylvanians gave their ethereal music a brighter, glossier sheen on this record."
The Ocean Blue
Technical