Ocean Roar
Mount Eerie · 2012
38 min · 8 tracks · indie folk
A meditative exploration of solitude and nature, woven with haunting melodies and introspective lyrics.
Top tracks — play these first
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Pale Lights — This nearly ten-minute opener encapsulates the album's themes of introspection and the passage of time through layered instrumentation and reflective lyrics.
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Ocean Roar — The title track features a stark contrast between serene melodies and profound lyrical content, embodying the album's exploration of nature's beauty and isolation.
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I Walked Home Beholding — In this track, the imagery vividly captures a moment of quiet reflection during a walk home, exemplifying Elverum's talent for evoking deep emotions through simple experiences.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalThe album's expansive soundscapes and introspective lyrics create a unique listening experience within indie folk.
What we noticed
- The album features long, meditative tracks that often extend beyond five minutes, allowing for gradual development of themes.
- Several songs incorporate layered instrumentation, creating a rich soundscape that contrasts with the sparse vocals.
- Two tracks are purely instrumental, providing a pause in lyrical content and shifting the focus to atmosphere.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- introspective moments of solitude
- haunting soundscapes for reflection
- immersive nature-inspired listening experience
- short tracks for varied moods
Maybe skip if you
- prefer upbeat, fast-paced music
- seek clear song structures
Where this album fits
- Career context
- By the time 'Ocean Roar' was released in 2012, Mount Eerie, the project of Phil Elverum, had transitioned from the lo-fi aesthetic of earlier work into more expansive soundscapes. This album followed the acclaimed 'Clear Moon' and marked a period of artistic growth where Elverum delved deeper into themes of existence and environmental interconnectedness.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Phil Elverum· Sufjan Stevens· Iron & Wine
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Pale Lights 9:59
- 2 Ocean Roar 2:57
- 3 Ancient Times 1:11
- 4 Instrumental 5:32
- 5 Waves 4:57
- 6 Engel der Luft 3:15
- 7 I Walked Home Beholding 4:05
- 8 Instrumental 6:59
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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