
Here’s some gorgeous, melodic melancholy from The Ocelots. “The Good of a Bad Year” is an absorbing song, driven by rhythmic, tumbling, flowing piano and a vulnerable vocal performance. Lush strings, subtle backing vocals from Jessie Monk and a chromatic harmonica interlude provide texture and sweep us along. Lyrically, the song takes us through a series of intriguing images that celebrate the small moments of joy that we often overlook.
Vocalist and pianist, Ashley Watson says of the song: “The song for me encompasses the sentiment of the rest of the album, it was a huge communal effort making what was written in a more dreary, lonesome headspace into something hopeful and joyous. We collaborated with our close friends Cillian & Lorcan Byrne, Conor Cunningham & Jessie Monk, who all lent a hand in turning my introspective dilemmas into a bittersweet drunken choir. Also we were delighted we got to work with Santiago Moyao who brought so much creativity to the project.”
At the heart of The Ocelots are twin brothers Ashley and Brandon Watson from Wexford, now living in Leipzig, Germany. This was the second single from The Ocelots’ forthcoming album, “Everything, When Said Slowly”, which will be released on 7th February 2025. The sound is richer, more expansive than their debut album and their words cover a range of themes, including the perception of time. They explain: “The title ”Everything, When Said Slowly”’ is a response from an old Irish man’s perspective on people leaving our hometown of Wexford over the years past. He said it was a very long time since they left, but not much time if you said it fast. I found it wonderful and profound, but also deeply moving and fitting for the album’s sentiment. How time flies or drags depending on what you’re experiencing, especially when it’s time in a place you said goodbye to.” Of the writing and recording process, Ashley says: “Apart from recording the majority of the album in an intense window of three days, we had a long overdubbing phase back in Leipzig. We were able to be more creative with the final touches. I worked in a bookstore and inside we had this beautiful noisy harmonium. I had a lot of fun with that, and I was in love with the sound. Brandon worked day after day on lead guitar parts, harmonica parts and arrangements for cello lines or extra harmonies. It took way longer than it should have, but it was worth it.”
This is an example of the brothers’ fine song craft – music to lose yourself in.