Anthem of the Moon

Album review

From the cover of Oneida's Anthem of the Moon, there's very little to indicate what the record may sound like. But those with any introduction to Oneida should be certain that what's to come will be loud, smart, quick, and rocking. Anthem of the Moon is immediately jarring, like their 2000 release, Come on Everybody Let's Rock. Right off the bat, listeners are hit with a flurry of noisy guitar, vibrant synths, and tough vocals. Mind you, the vocals aren't just a mishmash of yelling. Oneida does their best at singing, even if they come off a little flat. Obviously, they're amply aware of their much-to-be-desired voices. And self-awareness is a common thread running through all of the band's work. Though the skills and production are up to par here, Anthem unfortunately does little to advance Oneida's repertoire and is awfully derivative of their first two records. Not to say that Anthem of the Moon isn't a good record or a good place to start in the Oneida catalogue. There's just not much new going on here. No, it doesn't sound identical to Enemy Hogs or Come on Everybody, but it only differs as much as the previous two do from one another. It seems as though a number of tracks have been inserted as filler, and the band, no doubt, is fully aware of this, too. Though they try new sounds, they essentially sound the same as before. Oneida simply needs to fling themselves in a new direction to take back their math/indie/art rock crown.
© Ken Taylor /TiVo