Sometimes certain artists just hit a little bit different, and it’s hard to put a finger on it. Little Oil is one such act that fits this mold.
The Bay Area indie musician known as Little Oil expresses sanctity and aptitude in his unique new self-titled album, drawing from 60s psych-rock, folk, and punk. Together, these influences create a sonic potion that is sure to please.
The track “Through the Trees” is what caught our ear, and the frenetic acoustic guitar picking with the accompanying shaker and buzzing steady bass immediately draw you in. The overdubbed harmonies singing over top the unique instrumental arrangement create an almost meditative like quality with its steady, unflinching yet delicate energy. There’s a very cerebral sticky quality to it, and it’s delightfully easy on the ears. “Gold! / Far as you can see / But none of it’s for you / No, none of it’s for you,” he sings.
The opening track, “Losing Game,” has a similarly bright indie folk energy and feel to it, but it was the second track, “So I Called His Name,” that took a bit of a left turn and also stood out to us.
The track hits with a brooding, western-noir kind of energy, chock full of harmonica and twangy guitars. The raspy dissonant vocals and “ohh” chants give it an almost spooky voodoo feel. It feels like it could be the theme song for the next big True Crime doc on Netflix, or that new show Yellow Stone everyone’s talking about.
The man behind Little Oil, Victor Mitrani, was born in Mexico City, and is now based in Richmond, California, where he has been releasing music since 2012. Aside from his musical talent, Mitrani also dabbles in gritty caricature-esque portrait drawings as seen in his Instagram.
Sweeping through various sonic elements, Little Oil presents life with an almost punk-like attitude brimming with adventure. Folk-pop roots entrench his imaginative vocals, and he accentuates the great endeavor of life and its many shortcomings, expectations, and judgements. His collection of songs are all unique in their own way, and have a distinctly resonating sound with each new track.
Little Oil displays a unique versatility on is debut album, and each song brings an energy and feel not often heard from the masses. He shows there is room to grow inside awareness of mind and feeling. Expect more to come in 2022 from this unique artist.
