The main problem in trying to find out anything about Oscar is the fact that he goes by that single moniker, a la Rihanna, Adele and Beyoncé. Unlike those artists, though, he shares his name with a number of Google-rich characters and, of course, a massive awards ceremony.
This Oscar is Oscar Scheller, a devilishly handsome Londoner in his mid-20s whose debut album, ‘Cut and Paste’, is an aptly computer-based pop-rock album akin to those troubling the charts when he was born in the early ‘90s.
Upon first listen, the opening trio of songs make it apparent that ‘Cut and Paste’ may end up being quite the hard slog. Despite the up-tempo beats and chugging guitar riffs that accompany Sometimes, a song, incidentally, that sounds like Super Furry Animals covering Shiny Happy People, Oscar’s voice is decidedly un-poppy.
He doesn’t sing his lyrics as much as he delivers them, with his monotone style recalling David Sylvian, without the vocal tics, and Jens Lekman, without the fey crooning.
But, persevere and this concern ebbs away. The second half of the album benefits from an air of melancholy, with Breaking My Phone and Fifteen, in particular, serving as the perfect foil to Scheller’s downbeat style and, in these cases, lyrics. A collaboration with fellow Londoner Marika Hackman, Only Friend, is stripped down, brooding and one of the album’s highlights.
There are low points, too. Recent odd-choice-for-a-single Good Things, with its cod reggae instrumentation, doesn’t really go anywhere, instead trundling along without any spark, and the final track, Gone Forever, deserved a little more work in the melody department in order to avoid leaving the listener a little non-plussed as the album draws to a close.
Still, ‘Cut and Paste’ is a good record. There’s nothing here to make you want to follow Oscar around on tour or buy his back catalogue a million times over, but on the flipside there’s also nothing that will make you want to track him down and give him a stern talking to. Pleasant.
Oscar Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu September 22 2016 - NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social Club
Fri September 23 2016 - BRISTOL Louisiana
Sat September 24 2016 - LIVERPOOL Studio 2
Mon September 26 2016 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Think Tank
Tue September 27 2016 - GLASGOW Hug and Pint
Wed September 28 2016 - SHEFFIELD Harley
Thu September 29 2016 - LEEDS Nation Of Shopkeepers
Fri September 30 2016 - MANCHESTER Soup Kitchen
Sat October 01 2016 - BIRMINGHAM Rainbow
Mon October 03 2016 - BRIGHTON Patterns
Tue October 04 2016 - LONDON Tufnell Park Dome
Click here to compare & buy Oscar Tickets at Stereoboard.com.
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
