The Occasion’s debut album proves a couple of things: that the Brooklyn ascendancy grows stronger, and further: that which is dark and grungy as hell can still be an accessible, even lovable album. In the few years of their existence, the band has built themselves a distinctive sound, founded on pillars of post-rock, indie-pop and shoe-gaze. Cannery Hours has its share of surprises for the unsuspecting listener, and serves up Bowie-esque piano rock and guitar reverb that’d make Dick Dale sweat. You’ll also hear Brian Wilson’s unmistakable voice, subtly sampled by looper Sara Shaw, as well as echoes of John Cale and Pink Floyd. Best of all, though, is the curtain of distortion veiling everything, punctured now and again by shafts of blissful harmonic light. The result is a wonderfully weird and remote soundscape capable of enriching singers Jordi Wheeler and Brent Cordero‘s stoic and rhythmically acute lyrics with clear emotive intent and conceptual significance. Pause to admire the resulting texture, and you’ll see you have an occasion to celebrate.
