“May we fill these lungs with laugher, and may we shake these bones with style.” – Kevin Morby from “Aboard My Train”
The first step of dreaming big is being grateful. Here at Dead Oceans, we have much to be grateful for in 2019. We deeply appreciate our fans and listeners who came with us on this year of discovery. It’s been an honor to work with incredible artists and have the ability to release their beautiful records. Here are some highlights of the love we have received this year. Thank you and happy new year!
Alex Lahey
“Lahey may be stuck in the thick of it now, but her ability to see as though she’s already beyond, to address life’s essential contradictions with thoughtfulness and humor, makes her an insightful storyteller. Like a message from a wise friend, The Best of Luck Club is worth revisiting whenever you’re in need of a little perspective.” – Abigail Covington, Pitchfork
Better Oblivion Community Center
“Better Oblivion Community Center is the sound of an equal partnership between two of the best songwriters working today: Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. Throughout their self-titled album, neither side dominates in vocals or styles. Instead, their debut weaves together the best of both worlds, their sardonic wit, gift for melody, and left-field bursts of creativity fully on display.” – Joe Marvilli, No Rip Cord
Bleached
“Bleached has never sounded this humble or vulnerable—you almost want to lean in to catch the words before Jennifer swallows them. But just after the bridge, as her falsetto slides into its faintest register, they go electric, and the song explodes. Over a whirlwind of fuzzed-out guitar and cymbal crashes, Jennifer’s voice rises to a scream muffled by distortion—“Like, oh my god!” she sings, almost with a wink. After all, control is much more interesting after you’ve let things fly completely off the rails.” Arielle Gordon, Pitchfork
Durand Jones & The Indications
“Every tiny production voice (the way those group vocals were recorded, my word!), every new instrument introduced (can’t be a classic soul album with a bit of xylophone, afterall), and every new dimension to the band’s songwriting chops only proves that in taking so much inspiration from their heroes, they just might become someone else’s inspiration down the line. Extraordinary stuff.” – Evan Sawdey, Popmatters
Kevin Morby
“This psalm from Kevin Morby’s non-religious religious album Oh My God is as mysterious as the out-of-reach consecrated communion wafers and as fantastical as the Creation myth itself. The lyrics read more like a morse code rendering than a decipherable parable, but there’s a semblance of childhood nostalgia as Morby sings, “When I was a boy / no rooftop on my joy.” Maybe there’s a ceiling on Morby’s optimism now, but there’s still the hope of that youthful wonder. The song itself is miraculous to behold, tingling with claps and organ. You could take this tune’s meaning in any direction, but no matter where it leads you, it’s a clear stroke of Morby’s ever-sprawling genius.” — Ellen Johnson, Paste
Khruangbin
“Khruangbin’s deep, meditative grooves enjoy a generous helping of delay and spring reverb, with two bonus tracks mixed by none other than dub legend Scientist. This time the meandering guitar lines shimmer in the background while the bass and drums take centre stage. sure to expand the corners of your mind and warm the chambers of your heart.” – Piccadilly Records
Marlon Williams
“Live at Auckland Town Hall provides unequivocal corroboration to Williams’ ability to bedazzle us in the live setting as well as in the studio. I have never heard him sound better…” Rob Dickens, Listening Through the Lens
Strand Of Oaks
“…[T]he album overflows with appreciation for the good fortune that Showalter can hold on to, and he imparts that sentiment through generous songs that illuminate one of the great rockers of our time.” – Phillip Cosores, Uproxx