Oct 28 Album Review: Olly Oxen Free – Mason Proper

Written by Lee. Posted in Detroit Concerts

Ypsilanti’s Mason Proper cook up the kind of Radiohead-tinged rock that might be expected from a band from a college town. On their recent release, bespectacled M.P. frontman Jonathan Visger channels Thom Yorke’s spooky vocals, and the rest of the band– with production help from TV On The Radio engineer Chris Coady– follows suit with gloomy guitars, strange samples, and other surprises that make Olly Oxen Free an eerie, yet rocking listen.

The surprises come in the complex, experimental arrangements that reveal more oddities with each listen. On “Point A To Point B”, the band fuse a pulsating bass riff, lonely reverberated guitars, sampled children babbling, and warbling vocals about a sort of anti-Nirvana in being reborn as a lesser life form. Later, you notice “In The Mirror” has a rhythm section that sounds like a someone banging on the other side of glass.

In fact, the main difference between Yorke and Visger is Olly Oxen Free arguably has a little more sunshine in it than anything in the Radiohead catalog. “Lock and Key” has a synth solo that sounds like the first bird song of spring. “Downpour”, despite its robotic drums, has an undeniable dance groove. And “Shiny”, with it’s driving drums, crunchy guitar riffs and siren sounds, is a real rocker. Like the lyrics promise, “It’s a doozy!”

Featured Track:
“Lock and Key“

Mason Proper’s Olly Oxen Free is now available on Amazon

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