All Sides (Deluxe Version)

iTunes Review

Of A Revolution fans may be a bit surprised to find the band's sixth studio album sounding like a departure from their jam-heavy college rock. Of course the guys in O.A.R. haven't been in college for years, but they seem to have learned something more pertinent from the road: yes, they're going for airplay with All Sides, but that's not to say the music sounds watered down. The playing here is still stellar and innovative and moving and grooving, though the meandering, reggae tinged, cosmic noodling has been replaced with piano-centric song crafting, melodious rock anthems and catchy radio pop. O.A.R. on commercial radio? It may seem like yesterday when their demo of "That Was A Crazy Game Of Poker" was swapped around campus dorms, but this time around they had some help from songwriter Gregg Wattenberg, who penned hits for Chris Daughtry and Five for Fighting. He co-wrote All Sides' first single "Shattered" which blends inspiration from U2's triumphant stadium serenades with the kinds of Lifehouse power ballads that end up on One Tree Hill. Vestiges of O.A.R.'s groove heavy jams seep from the soulful "Something Coming Over Me" and the slightly rastafied "What Is Mine."