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It was late 1989 and my good friend Fletcher popped a tape in his car stereo. We were cruising down a boulevard in Wichita, Kansas and surprisingly, the  music fit the mood. Outside it was cold, icy, and pure. The music pumping through the speakers even had a song called "Frigid Winter Days, " interestingly enough. I liked what I was hearing. As for the rest of the songs, they were moody, atmospheric, even a bit ethereal. Being a fan of bands like the Railway Children, the Mighty Lemon Drops, and other British pop bands, I immediately fell in love with the Ocean Blue. 

In the intervening fifteen years the quartet has  released a number of terrific pop albums, including 1991's thoughtful Cerulean and their last proper album, 2000's Davy Jones' Locker, released on March Records. And while 1996's See the Ocean Blue fell a little flat, over all the Hershey, Pa.-based band could do no wrong. 

With their latest release, a six-song EP called Waterworks, the band  -- vocalist-guitarist David Schelzel, guitarist-vocalist Oed Ronne, bassist Bobby Mittan and drummer Peter Anderson (who recently replaced original drummer Rob Minnig) -- sounds inspired and mature. When I say inspired, it's because they don't sound as though they're going through the motions. Schelzel, the de facto leader of the group, has the first couple of songs. Starting out with a dreamy, synth-driven instrumental called "Fast Forward Reverse," the short songs leads into Schelzel's moody and dark "Pedestrian." Using a sampled drum loop, Schelzel sings about a friend who has reached a bad place in their life. 

"I walked to the square / I called out your name / they said you were dead / and we were to blame," sings a forlorn Schelzel. 

When asked about this song, Schelzel told the Louisiana newspaper, the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, that "Pedestrian" "comes from a personal, dark kind of place for me." He added that  "I often write when I'm in that frame of mind."  

Schelzel lightens the mood on the next song, "Golden Gate." With assistance from the Orange Peels' Allen Clapp, Schelzel creates a sound reminiscent of mid-to-late '60's  folk-pop, like Bookends-era Simon and Garfunkel. The lyrics are in praise of the beautiful city of San Francisco, a city Schelzel calls "one of my favorite cities." 

And while Schelzel takes a strong role on Waterworks, I'd have to say that it is Oed Ronne who really surprised me. When Ronne joined the Ocean Blue in 1996, for "See the Ocean Blue," following the departure of keyboardist-sax player Steve Lau, I considered him just another jangly-oriented ax-man. While that was true -- in the beginning -- Ronne has proved to be a prolific and talented songwriter. Witness the folk-pop song "Ticket to Wyoming" and the more muscular and bittersweet "Sunshower."  Both songs show what a great addition Oed Ronne has turned out to be. Lyrically and musically these two songs are among the best in the Ocean Blue catalogue. 

Wrapping up Waterworks is another Ronne track and is among the band's most unusual offerings yet. Called "The Northern Jetstream," the band incorporates 70's-styled synthesizers, sitars, and a funky beat that is appealing to it's very core. Bassist Bobby Mittan uses his role as the band's backbone to great effect on this song, with a fat, looping bassline. There are no "lyrics" per se, except for some "do-da-do-da-do-da-do's" that are repeated to varying degree. It's hypnotic and exciting and shows what the Ocean Blue is capable of achieving when given the chance. 

Schelzel also told the Town Talk that the band will be touring and then work on more material for a new album to be released sometime next year. Schelzel also hinted in the interview that original member Steve Lau is being courted and is considering a return to the band. Stay tuned. 

For more information, go to www.theoceanblue.com or www.slideandcrash.com. 

Andrew West Griffin  10/03/04