Ever since Holocene, I have been screaming about how the next best frontier for The Ocean to explore both thematically and conceptually was space. I know that both Anthropocentric and Heliocentric exist, but they are more about the philosophical, scientific definitions of where we perceive ourselves to be within the solar system. Now, with the band releasing their twelfth album, Solaris, we get space. Finally.

We cannot start this review without briefly mentioning the band’s lineup changes over the course of the past few years. Since the end of the Holocene tour, several members, most notably vocalist Loïc Rosetti and drummer Paul Seidel, left the band, causing them to go on hiatus and left many wondering if this was the end of the band as we knew it. However, over the course of the year, it became clear that not only were they working on new music but had also added new members. Now, The Ocean has two lead vocalists instead of one, and this new approach works so overwhelmingly well.

The first half of Solaris picks up right where Holocene ends, following the sonic cues the band had set up on that album. First track “52°30’11″N, 13°26’12″E” feels like a warm welcome, a hug from a friend you haven’t seen in a long time. It sets up a certain familiarity for the returning listener, almost setting up a sense of return. Things are about to pick up from where they left off – and then “Departure Song” hits like a ton of bricks. No album should begin with that much heartbreak, and “Departure Song” is a song that emotionally devastates, especially if you have experienced something like a friendship ending. Imagine being told that someone must leave you behind for your own good, even if it hurts. Imagine it hurting so horribly that it leaves you wondering when that friend (parent, lover, partner, sibling) will contact you again – if at all. That emotional devastation is what drives Solaris’ first half, a feeling of true farewell to those who have left and may never return. This feels like the true closer to Holocene, especially as we move away (thematically) from humanity to the ever-present visions of space. The music feels like The Ocean, albeit with more synths, more encompassing textures, more walls of sound – it’s overwhelming and dense, and just as poignant as the Phanerozoics and Holocene. It also sounds like they are setting up for risks later down the line, but for now, you are on this sonic journey, and you can’t help but feel surrounded by the familiarity the band has set up here.

Which is why, suddenly, there’s “Belligerence.” Which is a marked difference from everything the album has been so far. Unlike the first half, which seemed more like The Ocean we have been acquainted with since Phanerozoic I, this song immediately pulls you out of the reverie that the band created and reminds you that this is a different band altogether. Solaris’ second half is a showcase of renewed energy and experimentation where the band allows themselves to push against boundaries. The music here is chaotic, energetic, and vibrant, marked by impressive vocal and instrumental delivery that feels like touching a live wire. It’s almost as if they took influence from other artists and from other projects and decided to run with it. They also incorporated more of an electronic palate as well, which at times reminds me of Wisdom of Crowds – it is so well-incorporated into the foundations of their music that the electronic influences can be a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, especially on “Ultima Esperanza.” They also make references to Holocene, which, again is quite the foundation to build your rocket to space. Of course, what made this album stand out for me is the vocals. Both Enrico Tiberi and Lane Shi (Otay:Onii my beloved) shine on this record, showcasing their fantastic vocal interplay as they change roles across the remaining half. Both vocalists are complete powerhouses, and they work so well together that you can’t help but give Robin Staps praise for picking them both to do vocals. Their emotionality and vocal control are amazing and I can’t help but want to scream and sing along to the lyrics.

The Ocean was never thinking about ending things, and they came back swinging.

Now, if you know me, you know that I have been in the trenches with this band since Phanerozoic I. That album emotionally devastated me so much that I can no longer listen to it without bursting into tears. Both Phanerozoic II and Holocene accompanied me through grad school, friendships ending, work changes, political strife, and so many other events that I can’t listen to them without wondering about the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens. Solaris, although an album that is marked with the current goings-on and the current (political, economic, weather, et al) climate we have in the world, still feels deeply personal to me. I know that, thematically, it talks about space, about how it is impossible for us to communicate with extraterrestrial intelligence, how susceptible we are to memory and time, but I think Solaris is about embracing change. Following the metaphors set by the three previous albums, which used the metaphors of relationships ending; the aftermath of the end; and starting over to tell a cohesive tale, Solaris is about change and about putting yourself out there, to take things as they come. It’s clear that the band themselves, this collective, will continue to experiment and change as the years go by, but make no mistake: they will continue to surpass each album they make despite what era, concept, and theme they decide to approach.

Things may have changed, but everything stays the same.

There is so much to say about Solaris and its possible ties to both the book and the film; about the various musical threads one can pick apart; and about what the future may hold for The Ocean post-Holocene. Whatever it is, I hope this new direction leads the band into a world of continued experimentation to the ends of the world – all I know is that I am here for the ride. Welcome back, The Ocean; we missed you.

— Hera

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Solaris is available now on Pelagic Records. For more information on The Ocean (Collective), visit their official Facebook and Instagram.