Go By Ocean
Artist Information
- Label: Royal Oakie
- Genre: indie rock
- Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Biography
Go By Ocean is the moniker of San Francisco singer/songwriter/producer Ryan McCaffrey.
On 'Mend the Morning Light', McCaffrey's dreamy mixture of indie pop, storytelling lyrics, and detailed production work is at it's most potent. Having spent nearly 6 months shaping the EP down to the essentials, Mend the Morning Light is the most concise and lucid of the four Go By Ocean releases. Recorded mostly in his Novato studio, McCaffrey's haunting melodies soar over ethereal guitar hooks and synthesizers, all held together by gritty bass with electronic and organic drums that never rely on a cliched beat.
While there are echoes of bands like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene in the attitude and ambitious orchestration of the songs, the sound here is undeniably McCaffrey's own. And while this EP is a lovely example of the production styles of McCaffrey and Kevin Friedrichsen (bay area producer/mixer/engineer), it’s the songwriting itself that shines the brightest here. Mend the Morning Light is an eclectic, energetic yet undeniably melancholy offering full of songs about isolation, yearning for better days ahead and of course, love. Ultimately it’s the next chapter of a songwriter’s life transformed into melodies that are hard to forget.
