Spring Offensive – Not Drowning But Waving

This blog claims to be somewhat Oxford-focused, but let’s be honest, we could do better, Gaz Coombes and TEED posts aside. I was planning on going to Truck Festival this year, and in the build-up to it I set about listening to a whole host of bands that were set to be taking to the stage. As it turned out, I couldn’t make the festival, but I had stumbled across a rich vein of brilliant local bands. For today, step forward Spring Offensive.
A few days ago they posted a video for their new single ‘Not Drowning But Waving’ which I wrapped my eyes around for the first time today. While previous music from them has a charming indie-melancholy lilt, this track feels like a step into a slightly different direction. Again, it’s quite a downbeat current running through the track lyrically, but it feels more atmospheric, grander in its scope and execution. They’ve dreamed bigger and brought this track to life in a brilliant way. The track and video feel a lot like Foals’ wondrous ‘Spanish Sahara’, both in the slow building but ultimately glum-euphoria of the end of the track. The video also uses a body of water to carry the storyline, as in ‘Spanish Sahara’. All of this just further wets the appetite for a potential LP down the line. Check out the video below.