EP REVIEW: Oakwood Grove – Idle Hands

‘Idle Hands’ is indicative of a band with a developed understanding of what separates a body of work being just a collection of songs from being a real artistic expression of an idea

Arising out of St. Louis and Southern Illinois, Oakwood Grove are a four-piece outfit that centre their music around driving emo and post-hardcore stylings that feed into topics of love, loss, and personal introspection. Following on from their 2021 debut EP, ‘Faces I’ve Known’, the band have returned with their sophomore EP, ‘Idle Hands’, which collates recent singles with some additional new tracks.

Across the five-tracks, Oakwood Grove deliver a powerful and nuanced look at mental health, learning to have hope, and understanding your own personal agency; it’s impressive just how impactful this manages to be given its 18 minute runtime, but the songwriting carries incredible weight that enables this EP to feel conceptually complete and immersive.

A big part of that is the band’s understanding of how paradoxical human nature can feel; for example, on ‘Slow Burn’, Oakwood Grove grapple with the war of knowing that you are jeopardising your own recovery and support network, and yet not being able to prevent yourself from enacting self-destructive behaviours (‘I’ve been dreaming of a house fire/Whilst you’ve been holding out your hand’). ‘Breakdown’ and ‘For What It’s Worth’ both perfectly frame the experience of seeking recovery for the sake of others, yet in the process neglecting your own wants and needs.

In the midst of it all there’s ‘Colors’, which captures the feeling of apprehension when hope finally arrives, the contrasting joy and fear of optimism and recovery. All of this builds into form a complete and evocative exploration of the darker aspects of the psyche, and in turns makes the whole experience deeply cathartic and compelling. 

None of this, however, means much of anything if the actual music is no good. Thankfully, Oakwood Grove also excel in this area, conjuring up sonic allusions to current peers Careful Gaze, early-era Thrice, and genre cult legends Casey. ‘Breakdown’ is a fantastic post-hardcore rager with a killer breakdown segment in which vocalist Lucas Stanfield delivers screamed vocals with something akin to a rap-flow. ‘Slow Burn’, on the other hand, packs a distinct pop-punk punch in the driving rhythm sections, with particularly snappy percussion from Challis Flannigan. 

Even the somewhat more restrained tracks, such as ‘Colors’ and ‘Get Well Soon’, the latter with its somber lyricism and mellow, melodic focus, feel full of life and energy, appealing to the nostalgia of early 00’s post-hardcore without feeling redundant or lacking in ideas; classic sounds in the scene retooled for a modern audience. 

In an era of ‘emo renaissance’, it’s easy to get caught up in the superstardom that surrounds the culture. However, it’s important to not forget the efforts at the grassroots of the genre. Similar to the aforementioned Careful Gaze, along with bands such as Kerosene Heights, Bouquet, and Followship, Oakwood Grove showcase just how vibrant and creative the base level of the scene truly is.

‘Idle Hands’ is indicative of a band with a developed understanding of what separates a body of work being just a collection of songs from being a real artistic expression of an idea. Should Oakwood Grove continue to evolve and progress as they have, a truly great full-length project could be manifested.

RATING: 79/100 – Mostly Very Good

For Fans Of: Careful Gaze, Thrice, Casey, Kerosene Heights, My Chemical Romance

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify // Twitter