In the contemporary indie world not many new bands choose to release a 13 and a half minute single about the Grief Cycle. It’s just not the way of things. Normally you get a couple of cover versions on the band’s MySpace page and a large dollop of PR hyperbole to go with it. But then Oxford’s Spring Offensive are anything but a regulation indie band. As the handwritten notes that come with the free download of the song allude to, this mini-epic is a piece of work built around the elements of the Grief Cycle: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But it’s also a song about the act of imagining. The elements of grief are examined in the musical passages of the song, each with its own musical dynamic and drive, each segueing into the other to make a remarkable whole.
While the vision and imagination required to put together 13 compelling minutes of music are one thing, this is no ill conceived flight of fancy from the quintet. The song works in its individual elements and in a wider context, but never drifts into melodic inaccessibility, while incorporating a range of styles that are the equal of the themes explored. Twin guitars chime and prompt, singer Lucas Whitworth sings, mourns and hollers, rhythms weave and strain and accentuate the musical emphases. Ultimately, in being brave enough to defy categorization, Spring Offensive leave the listener the space to find their own understanding, which proves both a rewarding and a liberating experience.
9/10
Download the song for free here.
