Old Man River - Good Morning
(2007)

Review by Sean Lynch

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Ever had one of those ridiculously annoying catchy melodies in your head that you can never quite put a name to? The sort of tune you begin to bleed from the ears from 34 hours into humming it? Well, I'm here to tell you, it's Old Man River's fault!

This is quite a rare little beast when you think about it. This is an act as Indie as can be, with little to no previous buzz surrounding him - on a mega sized label. But why? Well, the signing of Old Man River can come down to two letters. "L-A".

Yep, if you haven't heard La by now - you've been living under a rock with a pair off beavers in need of a haircut taped to your head.

It's that incredibly catchy - extremely enjoyable - and overtly overplayed track which has been plastered on every TV commercial, lifestyle show montage and Triple J ad in the country. And no matter how often you hear it, it just gets better!

The same can't be said for the remaining 11 tracks on "Good Morning".

While the majority of the tracks are pretty damn enjoyable, not one lives up to the expectations set by La (which probably explains why it's been positioned towards the end of the album as opposed the the usual #2 or #3 placing the big hits normally get).

Old Man River - aka charismatic Sydney singer/songwriter Ohad Rein - built his rep touring with renowned acts such as Damien Rice, Ben Lee, Gelbison and Sleepy Jackson. So obviously - the man knows how to put on a good show for the stoners. And this album translates that perfectly.

Of the 11 tunes, 90% melds psychedelic rock and 60s pop - most notably Wedding Song, Better Place, Long Way From Home and the Doors-ish Sunshine.

The thing is, this is so easy to listen to. It's complex but amazingly digestible! But, for some reason, it's highly forgettable as well. But that's the point, it's an "album" more so than a series of singles. And that's why something like this is such a rarity on such a major label.

Plus, "Good Morning" also includes a whale origami insert for your own good times, so stoners will never have to leave the house again!

ALBUM RATING: 3 out of 5

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