The Okay Win - Nothing's Not Moving

Boston bred indie act The Okay Win is back with their all new studio album titled Nothing's Not Moving. The group have been relatively low key and flying under the radar over the last few years, and have returned with a new set that evokes their broad ranging tempo of indie rock that moves around exponentially in terms of mood and can't possibly be confined to one genre, a characteristic that the band is quite alright with.

The album kicks off with the dreary "Shift", a track that familiarizes you with the lead vocals of Stephen MacDonald and sets events into motion right away with the somber melodies providing the emotional backdrop for this tough and gritty track. "In A Way" is a more vibrant, eclectic track featuring some Springsteen styled elements thrown in for good measure and Steve's rough textured vocals melding in together nicely, and featuring some great guitar licks from Adam McElreath of Big Big Buildings fame who contributes a great deal to the band's melodic veracity that is well represented and in fine form here. "Reaction" takes a different approach from the previous tracks, and relies on the sole nature of the well complemented guitars at hand to create a sonically charged environment that evokes their style and satisfies their creative vision that they set forth when they headed into the studio to create this effort. My favorite track off the album is "The Glass" a sheer, well encapsulated moment of bliss with the collective efforts and musical wisdom of everyone gathered to create a song that signifies who they are as musicians and where they are in their respective lives as well.

The second half features "Satellite" a subtle, stratospheric track that is one of the more technically enhanced tracks featured on the album with Adam's echoing vocals whispering from another dimension and adding a great deal of aura and mystery to a very diverse and eclectic effort heard here so far. "The Hook" takes things down a few notches with a more downtempo musical state of mind with great rips in the musical surface and dreary melodies that showcase the band's ability to weave emotion into musical art that is constantly shifting and morphing right in front of you. "You Were Control" concludes matters here with a track that completely encapsulates Steve's musical persona that he's crafted in the past with his solo work, and comes to fruition here with a mellow and relatively low-key track with wonderful instrumentation that allows each band member to back each other up and bring things into perspective here as the album draws to a close. I've been close friends with a few of the guys from the band since high school, and I was introduced to Steve shortly after I graduated from college and I'm amazed with the way he's grown after our first meeting both personally and professionally, and how he's grown out of his shell into a more confident and capable musician willing to pour all of his emotions out there for everyone to see, and has all his bandmates along for the journey to wherever the music will take them.

Overall, a well constructed effort from The Okay Win, a band who have been a clear underdog in the Boston scene for a few years now, but the members are quite alright with that label and are just willing to play for wherever the crowds gather with open ears.

                                                                                                                          Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Shift
2. In A Way
3. Legion (When Coming Home)
4. Reaction
5. The Glass
6. Every Face In A Wave
7. Satellites
8. The Hook
9. Vibrations
10. You Were Control