Oceans (Evanescence song)

"Oceans"
Song

"Oceans" is a song by American rock band Evanescence, from their third studio album, Evanescence (2011). Written by band members Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo, Tim McCord, and produced by Nick Raskulinecz, "Oceans" is an electronic rock song about brokenness without having an irreparable solution. It is influenced by themes of nature, particularly oceans, which led to the song being named after it.

Upon its release, "Oceans" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Lee's vocal performance and the record's use of synthesizers. The band has also performed the song live, primarily on select dates of their Evanescence Tour.

Background, recording and composition

"Oceans"

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In this 25-second sample of "Oceans", the background accompaniment in the second verse was recorded using a Moog synthesizer and five electronic keyboards.

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"Oceans" was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo, Tim McCord, with the production handled by Nick Raskulinecz. Recorded in the Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee in 2011, "Oceans" was recorded using various instruments, notably using a Moog synthesizer and five additional keyboards. Lee recalled:

"It's got a big cool synthetic keyboard, you know, Moog plus we used like 5 keyboards to make that sound. I really like that song because I feel like it's different sounding and I kind of been falling in love with a lot of old analog gear for the last couple of years. So it was fun to get to use those things. Yeah, I just think it's a big epic fun song. Out of all of our songs that was one of the four that we chose to do live when we just had a couple of shows recently. And I think it went pretty good, I liked it, it was fun to play!"

"Oceans" is an electronic rock song with alternative metal influences. Lee revealed that the song "starts with a big, low synth and a vocal, then the band kicks in. It's big and lush. We've been having a lot of fun playing that one especially. I get inspired by nature, the ocean's been a theme. Brokenness has become a little bit of theme, without necessarily offering a solution."

Critical response

"Oceans" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Chad Grischow of IGN described the track as "excellent", "A hazy synth hum and stuttering beat make for a head turning sonic shift on the excellent "Oceans", with plenty of guitar in the hook to make up for the neon fog in the verses." Coleen Kelly of the Salem State Log opined: "It starts out with a gloomy-sounding synthesizer, but Lee's sweetsounding voice adds texture. The result almost sounds like a normal pop song, but then the addition of bass and minor-key riffs brings this song to its choral climax. Lee belts out the chorus layered with melancholic backing vocals: a combination that makes my hair stand on end." Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly wrote in his review, "she (Lee) still occasionally lapses into drama-club caterwauling, but when she uses baroque orchestral accouterments to wage an air assault on her demons (as she does on the blistering "Oceans"), she's more than just the token girl in the pit." Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club said: "I think I finally understand what it means to be lost," Lee intones from up on high at the start of "Oceans", which like most of Evanescence begins at intensely aggrieved before launching heavenward toward new, unexplored regions of angst." Xavier Rossey of Music in Belgium stated that the song "gives voice to synthesizers, and then gets tougher with clear-cut guitars."

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics