Hailing from Utrecht, I Am Oak (aka Thijs Kuijken) follows up the 2010 album On Claws with Oasem. Pronounced like “awesome,” Oasem contains 12 lushly arranged tracks that bring to mind Antony & the Johnsons crossed with Grizzly Bear. “Horizon” and “Horizon II” swoon with a slow steel guitar and vocals that simply stairstep each other to great effect while “Ancient” is a great example of how Kuijken can carry an entire song with his expressive voice. Each song on Oasem sounds very deliberate, with each note carefully played and every phrase thought out. Standouts include “Curt,” “Elbows” and “Island II.” – Written by DBosket
SIMILAR | Antony and the Johnsons, Grizzly Bear, Jens Lekman, Sondre Lerche