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Maturing sound, different themes...still good live

10/28/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The departure of Steve Lau may have influenced the brass and the ivory usage on the album. However, as David has with the other releases, this album projects new moods and similar sounds. Rob plays an active role in the production which is crisp and etherial. The band suffers from lack of MTV and label support. With recent industry changes, is TOB still together? Ten years, four albums later and a few labels later TOB surprises you with hard and soft edges. "Bitter" and "Whenever you're Around" have some power. New keyboard player, guitarist and backing vocalist Ed Ronnie lends a track of his own & pulls his weight on CD & in concert."

More catchy tunes.

Donald R. Hiscocks | 02/11/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I would actually give this 3 1/2 stars. This was the first TOB CD that I heard, and I still love it. But since I've heard their earlier stuff, I realize that it isn't quite as good.It has infectious melodies and some good hooks, but doesn't match the dreamy, upbeat sounds of "Cerculean" or "Beneath the Rythym and the Sound.""

A harder sound but the same GREAT songwriting

Donald R. Hiscocks | 07/11/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perceptions of The Ocean Blue were totally smashed with this excellent album. Fans expecting more lush sound were first suprised to hear the playful opening instrumental, then the hard driving melodies which followed. But make no mistake--this isn't the tired crunch rock that bloats so many radio station playlists these days. The superb TOB sound is still there, just different--and invigorated. In this case, change is good. Even fans of the "old" sounds of Cerulean will find something to like in this album because you can't dismiss all the great hooks. This one is a solid gem, don't miss it."