ALBUM REVIEW: LITTLE OIL “LITTLE OIL”
As an experienced session musician in the Bay Area who has played in many live bands in the past years, Little Oil, aka Victor Mitrani, produces a solid full-band sound that is easy to vibe with and sink into. Being tired of comprising his artistic vision and freedom, Mitrani decided to be the music director as he was born to be. Absorbing various influences from folk, rock, blues, country, and pop, Little Oil presents a vast palette of sounds and colors while remains raw and authentic. Little Oil where it takes you on a sunny, kaleidoscopic journey.
“Losing Game” opens with a warm, optimistic road trip vibe featuring captivating strumming riff and charming slide guitar along with Little Oil’s soothing vocal that immediately lightens up your mood and puts you behind the driver seat where the landscape opens up as the wind strokes your hair. "Blind enough to see the light; Blind enough to seem alright” is the spirit. “So I Call His Name” hits the southern blues spots with a swamp, gospel characteristic. Blending a classic rock vocal style with a rich, soulful choir that responds to the lead vocal’s desperate calling; a harmonica soaring in a near-distance.
“Tied To Him” revolves around a nostalgic, mesmerizing chorus that reminds you of many familiar sounds while adhering to Little Oil’s own aesthetic. It’s a personal song that reflects his upbringing with a father who has a gambling problem. “Through The Trees” retreats to a reverberant country landscape where one stands at a crossroad looking back and forward. Dreamful and smoothing with an underlying intensity that gives you a sense of sacredness and destiny: “Up the road, cannot see, 'round the bend, through the trees.”
“Big Mistake” concludes the album with a truthful, heartfelt song about blame and regret. It takes you back to the initial fuzzy warmth that reminds you of the beginning, at the same time, its storytelling makes you want to linger longer in the sonic world of Little Oil.
Written by Katrina Yang
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