When I think of Oso Oso, one word comes to mind: consistency. I trust that regardless of the sonic direction, they will churn out indie pop rock hits. There’s a comfort in Jade Lilitri’s voice, like an old friend who has been there for you year in and year out. This being the band’s fifth LP, life till bonesincludes everything you could want in an Oso Oso record: catchy hooks, driving rhythmic guitars, melodic bass lines, acoustic ballads, and unique song structures.

Producer Billy Mannino wrote on Twitter that life till bones is like if Oso Oso took a left turn after the yunahon mixtape instead of a right. I think he was hinting at how life till bones uses unconventional song structures much like yunahon does. On 2019’s Basking in the Glow, Oso embraced a more conventional pop music song structure. Here Lilitri is very linear in his song structures, and it can be hard to pinpoint what to label certain parts of the song. “stoke” and “all of my love” are examples of this. The former starts with two parts that could be labeled as verses, followed by an instrumental break and some parts that could possibly be labeled as choruses. Meanwhile, “all of my love” contains just a single verse, followed by instrumental sections and choruses. These unique structures help burrow the melodies even deeper into your head since you’re sometimes listening to the same part consecutively.

The percussion on life till bones is very minimal. The drum parts are well-performed and well thought out, but sparse. This is likely due to how Jade has used the acoustic guitar on this album. The acoustic guitar is like a percussion instrument on the record. There are moments where the drum is playing just a snare and kick pattern, and the acoustic guitar acts as the auxiliary percussion part. This technique is most notable on album stand out “country club” The acoustics drive the chorus, while the drums stick to just a bass and kick pattern.  While Jade began experimenting with this technique on sore thumb, the band’s previous effort, I believe it is executed more consistently and effectively on life till bones.

Lyrically, the album hits on many themes: love, nostalgia, and death. It would appear the acoustic ballad “seesaw” is dedicated to Jade’s late friend Tavish. A beautiful ballad that crushes the listener early with the lyric, “I feel like I stayed too late, you left too young.” Later in the song Jade also compares his friend to a brother, “that was my brother, almost a quarter century, I failed him when I said hold on to me .” With life till bones being the first album since Travish’s passing, this is the first time Jade has touched on the subject.

A song of this magnitude deserves a special recording “capture.”  The vocals and guitar sound like they were recorded in a small room and seem to have been performed pretty far off the microphone.  This recording technique creates this intimate feeling that you’re in a room listening to the song being performed live.  

To the best of my knowledge Billy Mannino has had a hand in every Oso album except basking in the glow.  He’s an accomplished producer in his own right, but has always felt like he’s played a big part of the Oso Oso sound.  On life till bones, Billy delivers his best sounding record to date as a producer.  The capture of the record is incredibly clean, and the mix suits the songs well.  The vinyl for this record wont be shipping until the fall,  despite this, the album is coming out in the summer.  The bright and shimmery production perfectly fits the late summer vibe of the record.   

Perhaps the most effective growth for Oso Oso on this record is how they’ve incorporated indie pop into their sound. Best executed on the album’s second single “that’s what time does,” Oso uses jangly acoustic and electric guitars to create a sound that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Phoenix album. The vocal melodies of the song are pure gold, and the song wraps nicely with an excellent lead guitar in the bridge.  The lyrics “My sunshine, and my little go-getter/ off to find someone who knows you better,” flow effortlessly from Lilitri’s voice.  

Life till bones is a testament to Oso Oso’s ability to evolve while maintaining the essence that has always made them endearing. With its inventive song structures, minimal yet impactful percussion, and deeply personal lyrics, the album showcases Jade Lilitri’s growth as a songwriter and performer. The production, led by Billy Mannino, captures an intimate feel that perfectly complements the themes of love, nostalgia, and loss. As Oso Oso continues to push the boundaries of indie pop rock, life till bones stands as a compelling addition to the bands discography, continuing to solidify their place in the genre.

Rating: 9.1/10

Release Date: 8/9/24

track list:

many ways
the country club
all of my Love
that’s what time does
stoke
dog without its bark
seesaw
application
skippy
other people’s stories

reviewed by Bryan Williams