Album Review

More than thirty years after The Ocean Blue first emerged from Hershey, Pennsylvania, Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves finds the band sounding remarkably comfortable with the dreamy, melodic alternative pop that has always defined them.

Released in 2019, the album doesn't attempt to reinvent The Ocean Blue. Instead, it refines the qualities that made records like Cerulean and Beneath the Rhythm and Sound so enduring: chiming guitars, understated keyboards, clean melodies and David Schelzel's unmistakably gentle vocals.

The opening title track immediately sounds familiar without feeling like nostalgia. "Kings and Queens" has the graceful guitar-pop quality that has always connected The Ocean Blue to bands such as The Smiths, New Order and Echo & the Bunnymen, but the production is warm and uncluttered rather than deliberately retro.

"It Takes So Long" and "Love Doesn't Make It Easy on Us" continue that mood, with the latter standing out as one of the album's loveliest songs. The band has always been particularly good at making melancholy sound inviting, and that ability hasn't disappeared with time.

"All The Way Blue" is another highlight, built around a melody that feels immediately recognizable even on the first listen. "Paraguay, My Love" gives the first half of the record a slightly more atmospheric character before the brief instrumental "F Major 7" provides a natural dividing point.

The second half is quieter and increasingly reflective. "The Limit" and "Therein Lies The Problem With My Life" demonstrate how effectively The Ocean Blue can work without dramatic changes in volume or tempo. Their music succeeds through texture, melody and small details.

"9pm Direction" and "Step Into the Night" push the record toward its beautifully subdued conclusion, while "Frozen" closes things with exactly the kind of wistful atmosphere the band has spent decades perfecting.

Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves isn't a dramatic reinvention, and it doesn't need to be. This is a mature Ocean Blue record that understands exactly what the band does well and never strains to sound younger or more fashionable than it is.

For longtime listeners, it feels less like a comeback than another chapter in a remarkably consistent catalog. For anyone who remembers The Ocean Blue primarily for their late-'80s and early-'90s records, this album is evidence that the qualities that made those records special survived intact.

Standout Tracks: "Kings and Queens," "Love Doesn't Make It Easy on Us," "All The Way Blue," "The Limit" and "Frozen"