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Writer's pictureKyle McWilliam

OSKAR BRAVES - 16 ROADS - Single Review

Updated: Oct 4, 2018



Making the kingdom of Fife proud is Oskar Braves, an alternative 5-piece rock band with a powerful industrial sound. Oskar Braves formed in 2016, after each member often crossed in the Scottish music circuit and felt they would work best together. Their musical influences note legends like U2 and Elvis Presley, and they’re supported huge names like Catfish and the Bottlemen, Blossoms, and many more. Their latest song, 16 Roads, released on the 1st of October, is an expansive journey of a tune created by an almost mechanical perfection of the group’s harmony and flow.


A reverberating tone opens the track, leading to a haunting vocals by David Stevens. Personally, I think what truly invests me in a song is a build-up, and a hint of spark and animation. The first lyric catches me: “You stole the sun from my sky.” The muse of this track sounds intense, and from experience these kinds of people inspire the best rock songs. The tone suddenly flips, amps up, and the song explodes into action; all the lads sound fantastic together, with invested and heated vocals, melodic and beautiful guitars, and a rousing drum beat motivates this song and stuns the listener.


The second verse has the vocals sounding much more wanting, desperate, and intimate. The chorus then slams into action, still sounding just as intense and great as the first time. My favourite verse features the title: “sixteen roads, all I need is the one to you / I’ll take them all away because that’ll be the fastest route.” These two pummel into each other and even though they sound exhaustive and fierce, the love is just as providing as it is demanding. Following this is a beautifully suspenseful bridge which focuses on a pleading drum beat and ghostly tones in the background: if there’s a music video coming out, this would be the perfect visual point to include a twist, or a hook. The song concludes with a much more passionate cover of the chorus, and an exit of fun vocals and an expert playing on guitar.


The song has a progressing development of life and energy, constantly shifting from the quiet beginning to a spectacular ending. Oskar Braves embodies spiritually touching rock that is so unique to the Scottish scene. The song grips with both its story and its sound, and I’m excited to see where these guys go.


You can stream 16 Roads on Spotify and Itunes now. Oskar Braves can be found on their Facebook here.

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