song: "A Crack In The World" — Oceanator

Fresh off a musical move into ska, Oceanator returns, announcing news of a much anticipated debut full length. For some time, Elise Okusami has remained one to watch, her emotive music gaining power with each passing release, and here on “A Crack In The World,” the identity of Oceanator seems more defined and whole than ever.

A single release that couldn’t have been timed more perfectly, “A Crack In The World” is about “taking pleasure in the simple things” with Okusami musing on days spent drinking hot tea and the innocence of childhood, all the while a crack in the world is growing larger. For much of the single, the pacing and mood of the single is light, a grungy, distorted guitar breaks in at just the right moments, while Okusami deftly maneuvers through the backing, a steady presence even in the midst of unstable times.

However, as the track concludes, something shifts — perhaps the crack has finally opened — and the passing is dramatically slowed, the guitar chugging its way through. It’s a perfect instrumental representation of Okusami’s final words — “i’m still trying my best/you know it keeps getting harder and harder every day/when you see the news on the tv, on the radio/but i’ll keep trying to keep the skies blue anyway.” Left with one final wallop of noise, “A Crack In The World” ends on a hopeful note, reminding you that despite the trials of trying, blue skies truly are around the corner.

The single appears on Things I Never Said, out on August 28.

photo: Alex Joseph