Quivers – ‘Oyster Cuts’ album review: a boring blend from a band who didn’t show up
THE SKINNY: Quivers are set to release their new album, Oyster Cuts, a tranquil example of indie college rock. The band are undoubtedly good musicians and songwriters, but unfortunately, there are many more misses than hits on the record. Overall, their new album sounds like something thumbed in, a solid EP extended in a hurry, lacking enthusiasm and neat execution.
As soon as the album starts with the track ‘Never Be Lonely’, it gets off on the wrong foot. A few notes are played on a guitar before a listener is plunged deep into poorly executed vocals. This represents the rest of the record, which lacks creativity and seems to take the easy option. Rather than building an atmosphere or delivering a vocal melody that lets listeners know they are in for something different, this is a cookie cutter of indie rock that doesn’t sound great.
That’s not to suggest that the whole album falls flat; there are some lovely songs. ‘Grief Has Feathers’ uses a synth sound that separates it from other pieces, while the chaotic distortion on ‘Fake Flowers’ is also particularly exciting. These moments are few and far between on a record that is difficult to get excited about.
The main issue is how subdued the whole record is. A lot of the tracks are slow, which is fine. We have seen on multiple albums that slow and peaceful music can be received incredibly well. However, these songs follow one another in tone, melody, and rhythm so closely that they blend into one and start to grow tiresome. Unfortunately, this oyster doesn’t contain a pearl, but instead is a helping of goo that would be better left where it was found.
For fans of: Undercooked food.
A concluding comment from an artist that loves the process more than the product: “Yes, this is perfect, change nothing.”
Oyster Cuts track by track:
Release date: August 7th | Producer: Matthew Redlich | Label: Merge Records
‘Never Be Lonely’: This isn’t the way that you want to start an album. The instrumentation is dull, the vocal melody is bland, and the whole thing doesn’t scream originality. The vocal performance is pitchy, too, as longer notes are tough to hold. All in all, it’s a pretty uncomfortable listen that doesn’t get you excited for the rest of the album. [1.5/5]
‘Pink Smoke’: It’s another poor vocal performance, unfortunately. The way that words go up, down, and up again doesn’t sound like the singer adds vibrato; rather, they have lost control of syllables and try desperately to wrangle them back in. The rest of the song is a standard indie pop ballad; it doesn’t do much to stand out, and the negatives far outweigh the positives. [2/5]
‘More Lost’: A brooding introduction. An imposing bassline and complementary guitar make for slightly more interesting instrumentation, and the layered vocals are much better executed. It does start to fall slightly flat around the chorus, and the song manages to plunge into the realm of background noise, not much else. [2.5/5]
‘Apparition’: The guitars sound out of tune, and this, like the other entries on this album, unfortunately sounds like a first draft. The lyrics don’t feel complete, the guitar parts are riddled with errors, and the mastering sounds are all over the place. The chorus is quite nice, but that’s about it. [1.5/5]
‘Grief Has Feathers’: This track has a lovely synth part in the introduction that helps to separate it from the other tracks on the album. The vocals don’t land much, going deep doesn’t work, and the inflexions are too wobbly to enjoy. Instrumentation and mastery sound great, though, and it is a very tranquil number overall. [3/5]
‘Oyster Cuts’: One of the strongest songs on the album. The lyrics are some of the best you will hear on the LP; the instrumentation is solid, the guitar solos are well-executed, and the vocals sound great. [3.5/5]
‘Screensaver’: Sometimes, tunes can be a bit too tranquil, to the point that they become boring. Unfortunately, this is what happens with ‘Screensaver’. It’s likely the result of the piece and the fact that it comes following two other slow numbers, but it’s just too subdued to feel anything about. [1.5/5]
‘If Only’: This is a nice effort. The rhythm is continuous, the vocals sound great, and the surf-rock-like guitar solo at the mid-way point is lovely. It’s very stripped back, and not a lot happens, which means that by the time the ending comes around, it’s welcomed; however, this is a good one to listen to. [3/5]
‘Fake Flowers’: The back-and-forth vocals don’t work well on this piece as both singer’s tones are too far removed from one another. It sounds more like a duet on TikTok than a recorded song. That being said, the “Ooh ooh oohs” layered over pounding drums and distorted guitar are very exciting and separate it from many others on this record. [2.5/5]
‘Reckless’: The slow numbers have worn a bit thin by this point. While this track sounds pretty, it is also far too much like others on this album to stand out. The piece doesn’t do much to warrant being a closer and feels a bit anti-climactic. [2/5]
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