The
Dead Oceans
debut from Goshen, Indiana-based songwriter
Timothy Showalter
, better known by his plant-based alias
Strand of Oaks
,
Heal
arrives after a period of personal tumult and self-reflection, and its ten tracks spend a considerable amount of time exploring its author's formative years, referencing everything from plastic Casio keyboards and "Singing Pumpkins in the mirror" to lost loves, skinny dipping, and the enduring works of the late
Jason Molina
, who is properly eulogized on the epic,
Crazy Horse
-kissed "JM." Musically,
Showalter
draws from the same pool of familiar sounds as fellow neo-classic rock/overshare pop artists like
the War on Drugs
Phosphorescent
the Low Anthem
, and
My Morning Jacket
--
J. Mascis
sits in on lead guitar on the blistering, appropriately titled opener "Goshen 97" -- but he's got a flair for electro-pop as well, even if songs like "Same Emotions" and the propulsive title cut sound like they should be followed up by a quick
Casey Kasem
recap.
Okkervil River
's
Will Sheff
mined a similar vein of nostalgia on 2013's
The Silver Gymnasium
, pairing high school memories with richly detailed retro-pop, but
's take on the past is a bit more raw and unhinged. Songs like "Woke Up to the Light," with its seemingly innocuous
Alphaville
"Forever Young"-inspired foundation and the churning "Mirage Year," the latter of which explodes into a full-on sonic assault that sounds like it must have taken weeks to clean up after, present themselves as measured and somewhat even-tempered, but like the majority of
, they're barely contained time capsules on the verge of catharsis, and whatever beauty they possess will ultimately burn up upon re-entry. ~ James Christopher Monger