Oppenheimer - Look Up

by Russell Ferguson

published: 7 / 6 / 2008

Label: Fantastic Plastic Records
Format: 7"

Adventurous vinyl only single from experimental Belfast synthesiser duo, who sound like an electronic Weezer

Review

Oppenheimer are fans of synthesisers, kraut-rock and soundscapes. From this description they sound like Boards Of Canada copyists, but thankfully they are not. This Northern Irish duo, Shaun Robinson and Rocky O’Reilly, have more in common with power popsters Weezer than anything else. Shaun Robinson's vocals on this song sound so similar to River Cuomo that you have to remind yourself that you are not listening to Weezer with keyboards. The whole song has such a light feel to it that it’s easy to imagine the video to ‘Look Up’ being set in a high school in America. It has that 60’s harmony thing going on which on this record works well,so credit goes to these two boys for trying to do something that isn’t easy to carry off. The B-side, ‘The Never Never', is completely schizophrenic. It starts with a much harder sound and has distorted vocals from Shaun that rides directly behind Nine Inch Nails. Then it changes to a harmony that is much lighter in texture for the chorus. It alternates between the two and keeps wrong footing you. It truth it doesn’t work that well. Just as you pick up on what is going on it changes its mind. It’s a bit like having a girlfreind or boyfriend who is having a bad day and you're not sure what is coming next, but there is nothing wrong with trying something new, even if you only pull if off with limited success.