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Indie: A Country by the Ocean - Sure We were Dreamers

68 / 100
A charming, nostalgic indie-acoustic effort with heartfelt songwriting and a classic sensibility, but hampered by distracting DIY noise and inconsistent clarity. Best enjoyed by fans of indie/singer-songwriter or even noise pop who don’t mind rough edges.

A Country by the Ocean comes from central Mexico as an indie/acoustic singer-songwriter project with a classic touch that sweeps listeners into a nostalgic current via DIY recordings. Rafael Torres Calderón is the sole member handling everything himself. Unfortunately, the release date seems falsified, as the sound feels too modern for something modeled after the 1960s. It may have been intentional to make the classic feel more convincing.

Sure We were Dreamers EP contains six tracks built on acoustic guitar work that fully meets indie expectations, from steady melodic picking to brisk strumming that emphasizes the singer-songwriter vibe. The DIY recording, with its reverb and clipping noise, can sometimes be unpleasant to the ear—especially the vocals on "She was a Cutter." "Children of the Night" stands out as the most striking track—slightly more energetic, and surprisingly, the clearest original song here. Rafael also covers the late Syd Barrett’s (ex-Pink Floyd) "Bob Dylan Blues" with sound quality made equally clear.

I was torn about adding this release to my favorites playlist, because on one hand, it offers charming romantic indie singing, but on the other, the noisy DIY recording makes it less comfortable. In the end, I leaned toward the calmer "Danielle"—mainly because the noise on "You and Me and Everything in Between" is too sharp. The opener "She was a Cutter" could be considered perfect as a hook—or maybe this one needs further testing.

It may not be a direct match, but for those who enjoy Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan, and the likes of Juliana Chahayed, A Country by the Ocean is worth a try.

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