‘Roar Like The Ocean’ album review: Esimorp is steadily rising with the tide
The record is a solid foundation for a band comfortable in their own sound
After winning The Underground’s Battle of the Bands in 2017, and performing on the FWD stage at 2018’s Clockenflap, Esimorp mark this year with the release of their debut album Roar Like The Ocean, which perfectly captures the polished nature of their live shows.
The four-piece have always been gunning for that stadium-filling pop-rock sound, and they come closest on Paris. Ric Newsom’s chiming guitar riff recalls the post-Coldplay bands of the mid-00’s like Embrace, Thirteen Senses or The Fray, and although a little bloated with the singalong section, this is Esimorp at their most powerful.
Tracks like Nothing More, Erosions and But I Will Rise Again go slightly heavier as they channel Kings of Leon, while State Of Bias is so explosive, it could easily close the album or any live set.
Hurricane Sandy is the only song that feels out of place, with its bouncy bassline and swinging rhythm showing much more optimism, but lacking the emotional or lyrical impact of other cuts here.
Overall, Roar Like The Ocean is impeccably produced, building a solid foundation of a band really comfortable in their own sound.