Oscar Scheller - Coming Of Age

That much of ‘Coming Of Age’ is an instantly familiar listen shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. While Oscar Scheller’s own summery pop trade may have taken a back seat to his collaborative work, his credits have been with some luminaries of the highest grade: Rina Sawayama, Ashnikko, Rebecca Black, PinkPantheress, Shygirl… the list quite literally goes on and on. So his knack for a shiny pop nugget, alongside an obvious ear for the here and now means it’s a thoroughly 2023 record, taking in cues from hyperpop (‘Hole In My Jeans’), alt-rock (‘8 Minute Abs’) and introspective emo (’Somebody Else’s Car’) along the way. On the flip side, however, there’s a sense of having heard it before - in less a comforting manner as a nagging one. The muted synthpop palette he’s opted for - take ‘Black Box’ with its uncanny resemblance to The 1975’s more recent releases for an idea - only cements this. Which, for a songwriter firmly placed in the zeitgeist of alternative pop presents somewhat of a strange situation. Naturally, there’s some stellar songwriting skills on show - ‘Nightmare Blunt Rotation’ is a gem - but with his extracurriculars having proved so fruitful in the time since his last full-length, one can’t help but have hoped for an extra gear.