A friend had described Ozma to me as being 'like Weezer, but wussier.' I've never been a fan of Weezer, I could never get into them. Ozma, on the other hand, I liked instantly.
While not being a particularly heavy band, Ozma are a great band to 'spend time' listening to, if you are a fan of guitar-driven, keyboard-laden emo rock.
The songs are fused with melodic vocals (and when I say melodic, I dont mean in the same way that the current brand of Thrice-esque 'melodic' hardcore sounds) and soaring guitar lines, often remeniscent of Queen's Brian May and his signature guitar sound.
The guitars on this record are one of the great things about it. The guitar melodies are tight, and the range of sounds produced are excellent (check out the intro to the title track). The bass is slick and uncluttered, and the drumming really carries the songs along to their singalong choruses. The vocals are also good. Lead single 'Bad Dogs' shows this.
'Restart', the softest track on the record, shows Ozma at their best, lyrically. This song may appeal to fans of Bright Eyes, with Conor's trademark vocal style being picked up.
'Turtleneck Coverup' begins with a japanese-styled melody, which then breaks into a spiky guitar into. Ozma play their brand of power-pop well, barbed with tons of hooks, but not excessively so.
'Eponine', a reference to a character in a Victor Hugo novel, begins with a triple-layered vocal intro, and a Queen-esque guitar lead, which, along with the jaunty keyboard/organ track, pulls the song along to a guitar solo climax.
'Spending Time', the title track, blends harmonized vocals with a dual guitar intro. A glam/metal styled riff fills up the song, and then a keyboard melody that reminds me of nintendo games blends in with the verse. Ozma manage to mix all of these elements that shouldnt work, together, to create good songs that are great to listen to over a summer's day whilst writing reviews for your favourite online zine.
I personally really enjoyed this record, it was a welcome change from the heavier songs that have been cropping up all over my mp3 playlist this year. Ozma may be a 'wussy' band, but they're one I can stand listening to.
