Review: Oak – The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise

Style: Progressive Rock, Progressive Pop, Art Rock, Electronica, Post-Rock (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Voyager, Lunatic Soul, Ulver’s last two albums, Steven Wilson’s Insurgentes
Review by: Christopher
Country: Norway
Release date: 11 November, 2022

In 2015, a memoir called Reasons to Stay Alive came out, written by a relatively obscure author called Matt Haig about his experience of chronic depression and suicidal ideation. In Britain, this book was an overnight sensation and kicked off a whole movement; talking openly and compassionately about mental health became a necessity, indeed, almost a fashion. In the last few years, prog, which has tackled such topics here and there, has wholeheartedly taken up this discussion: Leprous’ last two albums are about depression, Devin Townsend has moved into a space of life-affirming pop metal, and Pain of Salvation even took on autism on Panther.  

Oak are the latest group to move into this sphere of music for your mental health taking on suicidal ideation on their newest album The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise. Born out of a folk rock duo, this Norwegian four-piece experiments with a poppy prog rock sound that weaves in a substantial electronica influence. First impressions are solid: vocalist Simen Valldal Johannesen has a deep, vibrato-laden baritone that recalls Danielk Estrin of Voyager or even Mark Hollis of eighties art rock group Talk Talk. There’s a strong post-rock streak in the piano and ambiences that gently underpin each track, but Oak are possessed of a dynamism that, on the prog rock side, evokes the more stripped back tracks of newer Leprous or Steven Wilson’s first solo album Insurgentes, while the electronica side of their sound recalls Lunatic Soul, recent Ulver releases, and Voyager.

The electronica aspect is interwoven into their Oak‘s sound with tasteful versatility: Sigbjørn Reiakvam’s drumming is a mix of real and programmed, and that mix of percussion is a driving force throughout the album. Atmospheric synth permeates all tracks, but sometimes the synth is tasked with a more prominent role, as in the lead licks on “Quiet Rebellion”, the dissonant backing noise such as that underlying the frankly gorgeous sax solo on “Sunday 8AM”, and the meatier vibrating bass tones as on “Dreamless Sleep”, a danceable number that would sit comfortably on Ulver’s The Assassination of Julius Caesar. The electronica contribution is vital to the success of every composition. 

This isn’t to say the proggy vibes or traditional instrumentation are in any way lacking, far from it. Jangly guitar riffs open “Demagogue Communion” which is closed by a delightfully messy solo, and the prog credentials come in the form of the epic “Paperwings” which, at nearly fourteen minutes long, traverses: a trip-hop opening section redolent of Massive Attack, more typical prog rock sections suffused by Mellotron, a contemplative spoken word over post-rock section, and into a Leprous-esque finale of astonishing grandeur. 

The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise is crafted around a theme of mental health and suicidal ideation; Oak consulted scholars on mental health and suicide to ensure the lyrics were representative of the issues at hand. Unfortunately, I can’t attest to how well their research pays off in the music—lyrics weren’t available for the album—but I can easily see their music becoming important to people in a difficult emotional bind. The face adorning the album cover is the death mask of a drowning victim and the title font is derived from two separate suicide notes. The latter is a somewhat macabre detail, though it’s well meant. It could seem a little in poor taste, but Oak are motivated by a more forward-thinking sense that we can’t shy away from these issues no matter how unpleasant they may be; that if we talk about these cold, dark places within us, we may be able to diminish their hold upon us.

Blending a secondary genre into your main sound can be a difficult balance, but The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise Oak shows us how it’s done. They drift across the melancholic prog rock/electronica spectrum, and their fusion of those genres is a delight to behold. While I’d love to hear these guys hit giddier peaks in future, there’s still a hell of a lot here to enjoy. But I do hope that Oak will make their lyrics freely available for the listeners who may find comfort in their message.

Recommended tracks: Dreamless Sleep; Highest Tower, Deepest Well; Paperwings
You may also like: Playgrounded, Haven of Echoes, thenighttimeproject, C.O.D.E
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Karisma Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Oak is:
– Simen Valldal Johannessen (vocals, piano, keyboard)
– Øystein Sootholtet (guitars and bass)
– Stephan Hvinden (lead, rhythm and slide guitars)
– Sigbjørn Reiakvam (drums, percussion, programming, keys and guitars)