album: You Were Overwhelmed - oldsoul

words: aaron eisenreich

You Were Overwhelmed, the second album from Massachusetts rockers, oldsoul is a lush blend of melodic guitars, striking vocals, and slice-of-life lyrics that will float around your head for days. There’s a surreal feel to the songs on the record that match the unsettling mood given off by the album’s cover, featuring the all-too-familiar computer-generated banner put up to display new luxury apartment complexes with cafes on the bottom floor. You’ve probably seen one, regardless of what city you live in or pass through.

The album kicks off with “Like No Surprise” and “Time Moves,” the tracks that were released in the run up to the album. Both songs have an instant appeal and beg to be heard again. They also show off how oldsoul can build on one or two melodies by adding layers and depth with each new pass through. “Language” takes a darker turn with arpeggiated minor chords and a unique sound created when the vocalists are an octave apart. 

“July” picks the pace back up, starting with just vocals and guitar before the rest of the band jumps in for one of the album’s hardest rocking songs. Again, the band does so much with the melody, pulling the instruments back briefly at the second half of the song. It’s little moments like this where oldsoul really grabs your attention, and there is an abundance of these nuggets on You Were Overwhelmed. “July” is followed by “Afterthought (Overwhelmed),” a meandering tune with swelling strings and lyrics about weed recommendations, hiking the mountains, and telling yourself to “stop the pathetic mumbling with all that romantic shit / get to work, get paid.”

The second half of the record starts with “Left Wondering,” an eerie tune that builds into one of the rawer songs on the album. Following that is “Wilderness (Clothed In Mystery),” an oddball amongst the other songs with its light acoustic strumming at the start. The song adds layers to the straightforward and catchy melody as it builds, before the coda that fades into “Wildfire,” another fantastic track.

The final run of songs (“Black Hole,” “Not My Place,” and “Every Time I See You Breaks My Heart”) seem ready-made to close out the band’s touring set. “Black Hole” opens with just vocals and acoustic guitar; one of the most vulnerable moments on the album. Lyrics like “I’ve been falling in and out of love with myself for quite some time” are repeated and the song eventually blows up into a visceral, cathartic eruption. “Not My Place” pulls things back, giving you time to catch your breath before the final attack of “Every Time I See You Breaks My Heart,” which brings the energy back up to “Black Hole” levels before the calming last chords.

For all the different moods and sounds oldsoul explores on the album, it never sounds disjointed. Quite the opposite really. As songs and ideas fade into each other, each decision the band makes seems like the logical next step on a journey. There’s a lot to love about this record and more to explore and discover with each listen.