Ozma Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Many fans of southern California alt-rockers Ozma were disappointed by the band's last album, considering Spending Time on the Borderline a weak-willed attempt to break into the new wave revival. Coming nearly four years and one breakup and re-formation later, Pasadena reverts to the straightforward indie pop of Ozma's earlier material; it even features a re-recording of one of the previous album's better songs, "Eponine," in apparent atonement. These 11 songs are as crisp and bouncy as the best material on Rock and Roll Part Three, with a newfound lyrical maturity and a more wide-screen sound that better incorporates the synthesizer parts that started to overwhelm the rest of the band on Spending Time on the Borderline. (See "Incarnation Blues.") The album's true highlight is the simply outstanding "Heartache Vs. Heartbreak," a dramatic, Electric Light Orchestra-influenced duet between lead singer Daniel Brummel and guest star Rachel Haden that sounds like a great lost New Pornographers single; if she'll have them, Ozma should consider asking Haden to join the band permanently. Surprisingly considering the indifference towards their last album, Ozma have returned to active duty with perhaps the strongest work of their careers. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Spending Time On The Borderline'
Release Date 5/6/2003
Tracks 12
Label Kung Fu
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Ozma keep maturing as a power pop-punk outfit and shaking off the Weezer tag a bit -- in fact, at times they're reminiscent of old Split Enz, in large part because of the keyboards. But there's plenty of energy about the songs, and "Turtleneck Coverup" even shows major signs of political awareness -- growing up in public. There's more variety in the sound, both in the instruments, like acoustic guitar or keyboards codas to pieces, or even in the texture of the instruments -- witness the opening to "Spending Time." The songwriting continues to hit a high standard, although "Eponine" and "Wake Up" both seem to vanish in the moment, before "Restart" and "Lightyears Will Burn" forcefully reclaim attention. The singing is what you've come to expect, more joyous abandon than necessarily always hitting the right notes, but that's fine -- it works in the context, although you have to think that with a little more work on the vocals they could actually move into a classic pop category. Still, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this -- you've just got to wonder how far they can run in this style, though, before it becomes a dead end. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
'The Doubble Donkey Disc'
Release Date 6/25/2002
Tracks 10
Label Kung Fu
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Any Weezer fans disappointed with their comeback albums would be better off listening to a younger set of geek rockers who go by the name of Ozma but could just as easily be called "Weezer circa Blue Album." The Californians have got the fuzzed-out guitars, loud drums, vocal harmonies, and synthesizer down just right. The band's apparent obsession with outer space -- Ozma was the name of the first search for signs of extraterrestrial life -- is taken to a new level on the first part of this album, called "The Russian Coldfusion." It features "Flight of Yuri Gagarin" and "Landing of Yuri Gagarin," the first man in space. There's more nostalgia for the recent past here, which recovering Tetris addicts will notice with the adaptation of "Korobeiniki," a traditional Russian folk song popularized in the 1990s video game. The first EP blends together while "The Bootytraps EP" -- on which every song has the word "booty" -- mines the familiar ground of love lost and unattainable. There's both catchy music and lyrics, as in "The Business of Getting Down": "If you'd drop by to see me again, I'd open up the door/And get down to all that matters now, which is getting down once more." ~ Ron DePasquale, All Music Guide
'A Huge and Silent Place'
Release Date 5/17/2001
Tracks 10
Label Atomic City
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Rock and Roll Part Three'
Release Date 1/1/2001
Tracks 11
Label Kung Fu
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
"Say hello to the new sound, same as the old sound." About a minute into the last song, the band puts their finger on the exact reason why their 2001 album, Rock and Roll Part Three, is as good as it is. Some bands sound a lot like other bands, but Ozma practically is Weezer. It is actually hard to believe that they aren't Weezer at some moments. But this is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, Ozma may have arguably written the best Weezer album of 2001 (and yes, the real thing also had an album come out the same year). Filled to the brim with catchy choruses, oddball lyrics, and poppy keyboards, Ozma knows this style of music like the back of their hands. "Domino Effect," "Natalie Portman," "Last Dance" -- it is all quality emo pop that is short and catchy. The only point where they really significantly depart from the Weezer sound is on "Battlescars," an epic of whiny vocals and strummed guitars that has far more in common with other indie epics, like Pavement's "Fillmore Jive." But all comparisons aside, this is a solid album of alternative rock that just happens to sound exactly like another good band who makes the same kind of music. Still, fans of this sort of music should give this a listen; it is really quite good. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
