Oliver Beardmore has today released his new EP titled ‘Not Sinking, Yet Floating’. If you remember our two single reviews from this EP, you’ll remember how we talked about those being a teaser of what was to come. Well, we got more. We got dreamy guitar soundscapes floating high with Oliver’s perfect voice lamenting his lyrical creativity. That is what ‘Not Sinking, Yet Floating’ is to me. That sweet embrace between the artist and the listener.
About ‘Not Sinking, Yet Floating’
‘Not Sinking, Yet Floating’ is the debut EP from Birmingham-born shoegaze and alternative artist Oliver Beardmore. While the initial singles leant more on the jet-propelled pop side of things, the resultant EP takes a deeper dive into the murk of prehistoric guitar walls and reverb-drenched synths. Ethereal hooks and traditional songwriting prevails at the core of everything Beardmore does, best evidenced in the subtle swagger of EP opener ‘I’m Sure You Know’, but this time he uses the longer format to dig further into his crate of influences and demonstrate the extensive tone development he embarked upon in his time spent off the stage and in the studio.
Lyrically, the songs on the EP reflect the nostalgia and personal interrogation in the wake of a particularly jarring separation and, while not following an especially conceptual arc, they provide a depth of introspection that makes them relatable as well as captivating. While the shoegaze and dream pop flavors may be the initial sonic takeaways for listeners, ‘Not Sinking, Yet Floating’ is truly a culmination of the last 70 years of independent songwriting and guitar music.
About Oliver Beardmore
Oliver Beardmore made his lyrical ambition known at a young age with a trio of singles in 2017 and 2018 that drew comparisons to the songwriting of indie staples Alex Turner and Noel Gallagher.
After a hiatus from the studio, Oliver returned in 2020 with a step into a new sonic direction with ‘Fiesta’, the lead single from his debut EP. With this move, Oliver placed himself at the end of a more avant-garde lineage, inspired by shoegaze and dream pop royalty Cocteau Twins, my bloody valentine, and Slowdive whilst retaining a melodic sensibility more akin to Lana Del Rey or Mazzy Star.
After ‘Fiesta’, Oliver released the second single from the new EP ‘With the Heavens on Your Side’. This was met with even greater critical and commercial acclaim than ‘Fiesta’ and has been a staple of his prolific live performances in Birmingham and London ever since. The final single, released on January 14th will be the titular ‘Not Sinking, Yet Floating’, a chiming anthem about the mental toing and froing that ensues after drawing a line in the sand with someone, and the doubt that follows regarding whether the haze has lifted, or the fog has descended. Oliver Beardmore has received critical praise from the likes of Dave Rowntree of Blur, as well as extensive Spotify and radio attention. This includes national and international airplay from the likes of BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, Hertz 87.9 and FREQUENCE 7
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/OliverBeardmoreUK
https://www.instagram.com/oliverbeardmore
https://twitter.com/OliBeardmoreUK
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/oliver-beardmore/1233637723
