Oscar Lang – “Antidote to Being Bored” (December 4, 2020)

The latest EP by Oscar Lang offers a fresh take on garage-rock with a hint of 90’s British rock.

By Matt Davis

Bluntly put, Oscar Lang’s latest EP and follow up to the “Hand Over Your Head” album is just too short. It leaves you wanting more and wishing this was a full album. The dreamy vocals on top of the garage-tinged driving riffs evoke memories of past albums and would fit right alongside albums by Blur, Doves and Supergrass.

This EP is fun, energetic and leaves you craving more. Each track is well placed and fits together. As the EP plays, it starts in energetic post-punk and progresses into more mellow pop-centered tracks that feature shimmering tones and melodic riffs.  This up-tempo EP kicks off with the title track “Antidote to Being Bored” that is dominated by its driving rhythm and pulsing kick drum then slowly evolves into something more light and jovial as you progress through tracks like “Pretty Princess” and “Something Has Changed”.

Although the EP features tons of full-bodied textures, Lang plays with the dynamics from dreamy and spacey guitar riffs then smashes back and forth into pulsing drums and over-driven guitars. This EP doesn’t exhaust you but keeps you moving. I suggest popping this on and letting it take you, and before you know it you will have moved into Lang’s whole discography. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this London based singer/songwriter.