Ovlov
Tru
Exploding in Sound Records [2018]
Who: Newtown, Connecticut’s Ovlov return after 5 years to release a vibrant, noisy and fascinating album.
Sound: Ovlov’s brand of melancholy muscle fuzz soars high on their new LP.
TFN Final Take: It’s been a few years since the last Ovlov LP, am, came out, but time has done nothing to diminish the talent of Steve Hartlett’s on-again-off again band. Ovlov sound better than ever. I was a sporadic listener of am, but they really caught my attention with their reissue/remastered collection of their first two EPs on Greatest Hits Vol. II.
Tru is a fine collection of songs. There is a delicate balance between the earnest and heart-wrenching emotion lathered in heavy fuzz. It is a difficult balance to maintain but when it works, the contrasting elements showcase each other brilliantly. Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle has a talent for doing this and so does Steve Hartlett. Tru may be his finest record to date.
Tru should win new fans for Ovlov as well as please their established base. If you haven’t ever listened to Ovlov, this is as good a place to start as any. Tru is a welcome return of a talented band and another winner for the Exploding in Sound Records and the label’s ever-expanding roster of bands that have been releasing some of the best indie rock in the past decade.
Ovlov Website
Ovlov Facebook
Exploding In Sound Records
– Reviewed by Daniel Taylor
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