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O.A.R.
Stories of a Stranger
(Everfine)
First Appeared in The Music Box, November 2005, Volume 12, #11
Written by T.J. Simon
It appears that O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) isn’t satisfied with its
underground, do-it-yourself success. Indeed, the band populated its recent,
Jerry Harrison-produced studio release Stories of a Stranger with
ordinary, mid-tempo alt-rock tunes in the tradition of Matchbox Twenty and Third
Eye Blind. Not all of its forays into the mainstream are disastrous — Heard
the World and Love and Memories are the best of the bunch — but they
also don’t sound much like the jam-filled, suburban reggae that O.A.R. fans have
come to expect. The old O.A.R. doesn’t appear until Wonderful Day, the
album’s third track, wherein things get back to normal for a blessed moment,
thanks to an island groove and Jerry DePizzo’s awesome saxophone playing.
The rest of Stories of a Stranger is largely hit-or-miss: Dakota,
Daylight the Dog, The Stranger, and Nasim Joon are all
feeble attempts at generating some crossover appeal that ultimately finds O.A.R.
abandoning its roots. Alternatively, One Shot and Lay Down are
reggae-tinged pop numbers that are every bit as good as the band’s historical
output. The album’s embarrassing low point, however, is unquestionably
Program Director, a pandering, faux-reggae abomination that takes the
ultra-lame lyrical tact of asking listeners to call their local radio station
and request that they play O.A.R. This kind of thing should be relegated to the
deep recesses of a fan website rather than manifested within the framework of an
actual song.
The bottom line is that Stories of a Stranger contains a handful of
decent numbers that will appeal to O.A.R.’s loyal fan base, but most of the
record is a wholesale abandonment of everything that made this band a homespun
success. Failing to dance with the one who brought you this far is a dangerous
game. Only time will tell if O.A.R.’s gamble proves to be a savvy business move.
Don’t bet on it.  ½
Stories of a Stranger is available from Amazon.com.
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005
The Music Box
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