Oceanside 1991-1993 [CD]

One of the inaugural releases in Captured Tracks Shoegaze Archives series, Oceanside: 1991-1993 captures cult favorite dream poppers Deardarkhead at a pivotal point in their history. Compiling 1991 s Spiral Down and Vibrate, 1992 s Melt Away Too Soon, and 1993s Ultraviolet EPs, the collection traces the New Jersey band s growth from moody post-punk worshipers to lush shoegazers. Early tracks such as “One of a Kind” have a near-goth intensity that is reflected in many of Captured Tracks contemporary signings, and Michael Amper s vocals hover somewhere in between Ian Curtis and Morrissey. Melt Away Too Soon selections like “Surf s Up” and “Enough” find the band truly edging into shoegaze territory with pedal-stomping layers of guitars and Amper s hazier singing style, which recalls My Bloody Valentine s Kevin Shields. Several of the collection s highlights come from Ultraviolet s songs, which find Deardarkhead coming into their own on all fronts: “Rollercoaster” is probably the poppiest song here, and a fine example of the band s more focused songwriting; “Invisible” features Amper s best vocal turn; and “Strobelight s whisper-to-a-roar dynamics and pulsing guitars show the group at the peak of its powers. Not only is Oceanside: 1991-1993 a nice tribute to one of shoegaze s lesser-known but worthy acts, it s also a fascinating document of how a band can grow into its sound and abilities.