The Anatomy Of A Good Song: Ocean Size

Welcome to our ongoing series The Anatomy Of A Good Song. In this series we aim to highlight a song from a West Virginia artist that sets the standard as to what a quality song should be in regards to the overall feel and sound of a song. That’s not to say all songs should sound the same or are created equally, but these songs are great examples of what is possible.

If you’re feeling that “Blink -182 is back” high, we’ve got someone in West Virginia that has been scratching that itch for a little bit. Today we present to you, Ocean Size by Golden! Be sure to follow them and, as always, check out our Born & Bred Spotify Playlist for more great WV music!

Vocals: The lead vocal on Ocean Size is quintessential pop punk. Lead vocalist, Greg McGowan delivers an earnest approach to the material that makes you feel the emotion he wrote about.

Production: This production hits! From the intro to the final notes, you can’t help nod your head as you follow the rhythm. Every instrument can be heard and all of the little frills you’d expect in a song like this are layered to perfection.

The Hook: In true pop-punk form, Golden hits us with a chorus that lifts us up while bringing us down. As soon as that chorus melody ends, we are ready for it again!

Lyrics: We love a set of raw lyrics that just say it like it is and then hits us with a poetic metaphor. These two lines below outline this beautifully: the first give us some cold hard facts that we can all feel pretty poignantly. Then Golden hits us with this amazing comparison of vastness of the ocean to a set of eyes full of sorrow. This is one of those lines that we wish we wrote!

“I don’t want to be the first to say | That nothing’s lost if nothing’s great | And I don’t think it’s ever gonna change”

“The regrets can pile high | sometime I feel they’re ocean size | as wide as the sad look in your eyes”