Oso Oso sounds like the exact middle ground between late-90s college rock and the mid-2000s emo boom, stripped of all theatricality and polished to a warm, analog shine. Jade Lilitri writes songs that feel instantly familiar, built on sparkling guitar leads, bouncy basslines, and hooks that lodge themselves in your brain on the first listen. It is music that captures the specific, bittersweet feeling of being young, bored, and slightly lost in the suburbs.
What sets the project apart is Lilitri's conversational, almost casual vocal delivery. He sings about self-doubt, relationship friction, and existential drift without ever overselling the drama. The arrangements are deceptively clever, hiding intricate guitar interplay and sudden rhythmic shifts beneath a breezy, power-pop exterior that keeps the melancholia feeling light on its feet.
To understand their trajectory, start with Basking in the Glow: it is the most cohesive realization of their bright, hook-heavy sound. From there, dive into Sore Thumb, which captures a looser, more intimate bedroom-demo energy that highlights Lilitri's rawest songwriting instincts.
Oso Oso is an American rock band from Long Beach, New York. Jade Lilitri (vocals, guitar), formerly of State Lines, is the only permanent member. Jade uses Lilitri as a pen name. The band has released four studio albums and two EPs. Their 2019 release, Basking in the Glow, and their 2022 release, Sore Thumb, were named "Best New Music" by online music magazine Pitchfork.
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); analog warmth, bedroom production, studio polished (production style)
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); wistful, nostalgic, bittersweet (moods)
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); wistful, nostalgic, bittersweet (moods)
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); analog warmth, bedroom production, studio polished (production style)
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); wistful, nostalgic, bittersweet (moods)
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); analog warmth, studio polished, layered dense (production style)
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); wistful, nostalgic, bittersweet (moods)
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); analog warmth, studio polished, layered dense (production style)
Shares indie rock, power pop, alternative rock (subgenres); wistful, nostalgic, bittersweet (moods)
Shares power pop, bittersweet, hopeful, indie rock (signature)
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