Rooted in tradition, and brought to life by a seasoned musician who’s now on the road to carve his own sculpture in the music world, ‘Little Oil’s debut album is a defiant and welcome piece of classic rock that’s as endearing as it is memorable. The solo project of Victor Mitrani, alongside the assistance of a few friends along the way, the record sees a more pronounced and old school style of acoustic driven classic rock music revived. Influenced by the forefathers of the genre like The Beatles, Dylan, and Bowie, Mitrani puts his own spin on the classics. For the first time, Mitrani has been able to be the sole ideological driver in a project, and he’s relished that opportunity.
There’s a variety to this record that you might not expect. On ‘Losing Game’, Little Oil is almost a folksy record, with a traditional feel and sing-along energy that harkens back to old Dylan records albeit sung in a much more conventionally poignant way. Although immediately after, on ‘So I Called His Name’, it takes a much more sinister and dark tone. Here, Mitrani has a growl to his performance, a pained agony that he delivers with passion.
No two songs really sound the same, with Mitrani’s vocals also shifting so drastically from track to track that you feel like you’re hearing a group play. The background harmonisation does add a certain depth to each piece that makes it all the more to cherish. As far as classic rock revival efforts go, Little Oil’s self-titled debut is definitely up there. If for nothing else, the uniqueness of Mitrani’s vocal performance coupled with the imaginative changeups between tracks do more than enough to keep you entertained throughout.