Listening to a new record can often be like meeting an old estranged friend. A chance encounter triggers memories of youthful escapades and careless times, and the conversation of the sounds once again solidifies a fellowship that had at one point been the foundation of your support system. It is nerve-racking, for you're not sure where this is going to lead or what should be said (it has been so long), but at the same time, when you feel that amicable bond tighten once again, the strings are somehow plucked into familiar harmony. And BURN THE OCEAN's "Come Clean" is one such record; an old friend from a former era that makes you feel like only time has passed between you.

I'll admit: I miss the 90's. Granted I was still far too young to be aware of any growing music scene that might have dominated the cultural front at the time, when I finally did come of age I indulged in all of the Grungy pleasures I could get my hands on.

To many, Grunge is a blasphemous agent that destroyed the golden age of Metal. However, to another generation it is a beacon of emotional values and honest musicianship. And "Come Clean" is as Grunge as they come. It is almost as if this record has been locked in some Sub Pop A&R's vault since 1994; seasoning like a fine wine before letting it breathe.

The fingerprints of the 90's finest are all over this one. The tracks are full of airy verses and gut-punched choruses. The opener "Days in November" and the monster jam "Feast" pack the sonic scopes and grunting thickness of SOUNDGARDEN's greatest hits; sounding like a blend of "Down on the Upside" and "King Animal" with the heavy touch of "Badmotorfinger". The hungry cruncher "Bitedown" echoes of KING'S X's "Dogman" era, combining filthy riffs with soulful melodic undertones. "The Seed" and "Land of Mud" take us on a soaring flight over SCREAMING TREEs fuelled by their flawless alternative formulas, and "Gone Away" strums through Chris Cornell's "Seasons" to close out the friendly reminiscences; and a cover of LED ZEPPELIN's "Black Dog" is thrown in as a celebration of the riff fest.

The production is superb; the record sounds thick and curvy in all the necessary places and packs the grit of a solid 90's LP; with fat layered guitars and broad, deep bass tones. The band sounds incredible; the members are bonded together with organic energy and execute the finely crafted songs with confidence and passion.

Overall, this record is Alternative gold. With "Come Clean" BURN THE OCEAN have polished rusty memories of a forgotten Genre into a perfect memento of a cherished musical relationship that shall never break. <