“Wow, what a spectacular rap… er hip hop…is that what you youngsters say nowadays?…performance by Kayden69! And boy whatta name! I’m going to have to ask my grandkids what that refers to. We now move on the staff performances and next up on our school Talent-o-Rama ‘01 is the teacher rock and roll band “We Will Teach You” with their hit single rockin’ the school charts!”
Bleh… if this is the mental image conjured up in your mind when you hear the phrase “staff band” you’re probably not too far off. But what makes the Aussie band featuring not one, but three teachers, known as Poison Oak different from the rest of the punnily-named, middle-aged, blues rock loving pals? They have a full record yo! I mean, groups come and go like the Kardashian beaus, but how many actually stay around long enough or have the determination to meticulously record an EP? Oh, and it’s a hell of a lot better than blues rock.
Poison Oak have just completed that revolutionary milestone, not unlike Bitcoin’s market cap hitting a trillion dollars! It’s simply unheard of and both coinciding around the same time, huh? Interesting. Their six-song EP entitled 1996 kicks off with their catchiest, most polished banger “Waiting.” We wrote a review of their single here.
The album then provides a roller coaster ride tour of the golden age of late Gen Xers: 1996. Nostalgic memories, crunchy guitars, powerful ballads and the like follow. A hard-hitting ballad “Some People Tell Lies” makes you stop and ponder while tracks like “Sarah” move you to tap your fingers on that office chair and bop your head. The album ends with “Still Thinking of You,” a powerful piano ballad transitioning into a pretty rocking ditty with heavy drum hits, guttural and thunderous croons and of course, ear-pleasing backing harmonies centered on past feelings that still linger.
And what does the music sound like? I hear a voice, at times sounding somewhat reminiscent of Brian Molko of Placebo, killer backing harmonies similar to the modern resurgence of 60’s rock and/or roll, The Cure and The Smiths guitar fills all centered on the themes of love, heartbreak and better times. But again, not to bring up the crypto markets all the time, what better time is there than now?? I digress… Give it a listen and decide for yourself and enjoy the ride with Poison Oak to 1996!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoisonOak123
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poisonoakmusic/
Bandcamp: https://poisonoak.bandcamp.com/album/1996