Oscar Lang finds his sound on long-awaited debut Chew The Scenery

: by Joe Sharratt; in Reviews; on 07 September 2021

London’s own Oscar Lang had an alarmingly busy 2020. Despite the Coronavirus pandemic torpedoing live music, Lang saw his stock rise considerably, releasing not one, not two, but three EPs – Overthunk came first, then Hand Over Your Head, before Antidote To Being Bored rounded out an incredibly, and surprisingly, productive year.

The really interesting thing was that over the course of those three EPs, Lang’s sound clearly evolved. That an artist’s sound changes over an early catalogue of releases is, of course, nothing unique, but for it to happen so noticeably over such a short period of time was captivating: the sunny pop of the early material giving way to a more rounded, heavier, almost surf-rock stance.

It’s an evolution that’s continued into Chew The Scenery, Lang’s long-awaited debut album. Opening effort Our Feature Presentation adds electronic elements into the mix, while 21st Century Hobby fizzes along, albeit with a darker underbelly as the lyrics take aim at the ills of social media (“Fake friends, living life to pretend / New trends, only fun 'til they end / How loud do you shout to drown others out?”)

Stuck unleashes some gloriously scuzzy guitars, an effect used throughout the record, to create a chaotic, garage rock sound, while Yeah! throws more electro fun into the mix. Are You Happy?, meanwhile, is a soaring, dreamy number, and closing offering Thank You carries a beautiful melancholic feel, documenting as it does a positive break up (“You made me see that I could be enough / So I'd like to thank you so much / For giving me that something, your love”).

Chew The Scenery is a fine debut, and one that shows that Lang is still refining his craft. Where he takes us next will be interesting to see, but you sense his next record will signal even further developments.

Chew The Scenery tracklist: