Confession time -- I had never heard O.A.R prior to receiving this disc to review. When a reviewer accepts the challenge of writing a review of a band that he/she has no real knowledge of, the hope is (at least in my case) that you will discover another great musical treasure that expands your listening universe. No better place to start than with a group's latest release.
From the music perspective, In Between Now and Then has a lot to offer. The arrangements for the fifteen tracks present a diversity in approach that works hard to capture your attention. After four albums, the band has learned how to use the recording studio as a tool to shape their musical vision. The band displays their ska influences along with anthem-like rock songs. Lead guitarist Richard On and saxophonist Jerry DePizzo each get several solos -- both contribute tasteful licks that fill the spaces in the arrangements without hogging the spotlight. O.A.R. is very adept at creating a solid musical foundation.
The vocals of lead singer Marc Roberge are appealing -- he has an easy-on-the-ears voice that fits well with this batch of songs. He can caress a lyric on a ballad or belt it out on the harder rock passages with equal skill. The rest of the group contribute harmony vocals which frame Roberge's efforts and punctuate many of the arrangements.
Unfortunately, the disc does have an Achilles heel -- the lyrics. I can't remember the last time I heard a recording that was so consistently deficient in the lyrical content. The great songs always tell a story or paint a vivid picture in the mind's eye. Throughout In Between Now and Then O.A.R offers a simplistic approach to songwriting. I struggled to understand the need for a song about "Mr. Moon". I cringed when I heard "...We walked along lonely streets and got to know ourselves. I like to read-she likes to write. She likes to sleep and I love to stay up all night." Perhaps there is some meaning in the songs that I missed in the several listens of this recording.
It is a credit to Roberge that his vocals often lend more weight to the lyrics than the content deserves. While the vocals and the musical arrangements create a consistently appealing package, the disc is ultimately undermined by an absence of equally strong, well thought-out lyric phrases that have something interesting to share. It is easy to understand why O.A.R. has steadily grown in their popularity after listening to this new recording. At the same time, I can't imagine their fans sticking with them for long unless the band can develop the ability to write lyrics that listeners want to remember.
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