Last week, internet meme star and budding Los Angeles based musician Oliver Tree released his new EP, titled Do You Feel Me. After initially becoming popular on Vine, Oliver has been making waves in the meme world for the last couple of years for his incredibly eccentric and hilarious Instagram and Twitter accounts. Oliver has stated that these meme accounts are a means to make his music bigger, as he has wanted to be a musician for a long time. Through combining his comedic talents and his love for multiple styles of art and music, Oliver has created this persona that toes the line between meme and reality in a very interesting and unique way. On Do You Feel Me, Oliver once again shows his love for multiple genres and styles of music, creating a very unique sound that blends dance music, pop, hip hop, and alternative rock. His sound is totally different from most other music out there but has enough pop sensibility to appeal to all music listeners. I truly think there is something for everyone incorporated into Oliver Tree’s sound; while not becoming too chaotic, Oliver is able to successfully blend multiple styles of music that are totally unique from each other. I encourage everyone to check this one out because I really believe that everyone can find something they like on Do You Feel Me. 

The EP starts out with the chill and slow-paced alt-rock song ‘Introspective.’ I love the nice and easy instrumental of this song. It reminds me of a lot of the alternative metal rock that was coming out of the late 90s, specifical bands like Puddle of Mudd and Interpol. Although Oliver dabbles in alternative and punk rock a lot, this is the first low key rock song I have heard from him and I really dig it. It is a solid start to the project. The next track, ‘Miracle Man,’ although it is also guitar-driven, has a totally different feel than the preceding track. Once again, Oliver as a couple of noticeable influences on the track; I am getting vibes similar to pop-rock bands like Train, as well as reminding me of The Strokes. It is definitely a very unique song because one may not think these sounds would mash-up, but Oliver makes it work. ‘Alien Boy’ is one of my favorite tracks by Oliver to date because of its sonic feel. The instrumental kind of sounds like a more chill and pop version of something Daft Punk or Justice might make. It is a super quirky sounding song but has enough pop sensibility to be loved my any lovers of dance music. On ‘Alien Boy,’ which is one of Oliver’s most popular tracks to date, he lyrically tows that meme artist line super well, with listeners not able to tell if he is being serious or not. There is one line I know that he is serious about, and it is this one: ” I’m still at work while your bitch ass sleeps. I’m an alien among the human beings…”

The title track of the EP, ‘Do You Feel Me,’ has a somewhat similar feel to ‘Alien Boy’ in the fact that it also sounds like something done by Justice or some other metal-inspired funky EDM artist from the mid-2000s. This track has a lot more 70s punk and new wave influence than anything that I have heard from Oliver so far. It does not sound that different from something Talking Heads or INXS would have made in the early 80s. I really like this sound from Oliver, and I hope he makes more music that sounds like this track. ‘Hurt,’ Oliver Tree’s smash hit about a nasty scooter accident that he was in, is also one of his most popular songs to date, as well as one of his best. On this track, Oliver pursues a weird alt-rock/rap direction, creating a fun and interesting danceable track that is once again totally unique to him. This track has a lot more of a somber element than most of Oliver’s other music, with him singing on the chorus: “I tried but, I don’ think so, maybe it was me who was fucking up. I gave all I could give but, it seems like it never really was enough.” The last song of the EP, which is called ‘All Bets Are Off,’ also has a weird and distorted dance-funk sound that again reminds of Justice or Daft Punk. The instrumental for this one is almost a little unsettling, and it matches the lyrical tone of the track very well. Lyrically, this song is very somber as well, with Oliver once again talking about how he has never really fit in. It brings a nice ending to the project and leaves listeners wanting more as well.

Oliver Tree’s Do You Feel Me EP really shows off all of the elements that make Oliver so great and unique. The lyrical tone switches back and forth from a very tongue in cheek and silly to somber and sad, showing that Oliver Tree is way more than a one-trick pony. The instrumentals on this EP are totally unique; although you can hear a lot of distinct influences all over the project, Oliver combines all of these influences in a cool way that makes every song very accessible and dance-poppy. I would probably say my least favorite thing about the EP is that it is not longer; I am excited to see what Oliver can do in the future when he makes a full-length concept album. Definitely click the link below to check this project out, you will not regret it!

8.3/10