SELF PRESERVED WHILE THE BODIES FLOAT UP

The higher the quality of one's past works, the greater the expectations for the future. So high is the standard of Oceansize's previous three albums, that the risk of disappointment was always present. Not to give up without a fight, Oceansize have nonetheless produced an excellent album.

The songs are shorter, more concise, and perhaps more "alt rock" sounding than truly progressive in some cases. That has stopped them throwing in a couple of epics, and these are inevitably the standout tracks, at least for me.

Oceansize manage, nonetheless, to be impressively potent in 3 or 4 minutes. The first three tracks and 'It's my tail..." are heavy, bass driven and fall perfectly into this category.

'Ransoms', while a great song, feels slightly out of place here with its slow pace and tender, emotional vocals. And here we find the main problem with "Self Preserved..." : the tracklisting. There is no real flow, and the listener is left with a collection of songs rather than a whole. Perhaps if the heavier tracks had been spread out more evenly rather than being grouped at the beginning (with the exception of 'It's my tail...'), a better balance might have been achieved.

Thankfully, the closer is well chosen. While not as epic as Oceansize's previous closing tracks, 'SuperImposter' has just the right feel and leaves the listener satisfied.

Once again, Oceansize has demonstrated exceptional musicianship and excellent songwriting, let down slightly by a lack of flow throughout the album. "Self Preserved..." is still one of the best albums of 2010, but it is a little shy of a full on masterpiece.