Solace is pristinely clean in its delivery; there's nary a misplaced note or rhythm to be found. I am reminded of a color guard drill team taking the field, militant in its precision. Now if we had the same level of creativity present in the arrangements, hot dang, Solace would really be scorching.

We haven't heard from the Octāves at RARB in a hot minute, but their last submission, 2016's Beacon, is definitely still remembered. I had a lot of praise for that release, stating, "If you're an arranger, you simply must own this little slice of paradise, which is not only really complexly imagined, but also still mainstream enough for people who love music of all stripes." I'll give this group "mainstream", since Heat Waves, in particular, sounds so identical to the radio version that passengers in your car probably won't notice the difference. If not directly transcribing, there's some pretty dull attempts at background composing here (most especially the "doo-wah!" pattern stitching together Japanese Denim).

Besides the noteworthy technical singing, what's going right? There are a handful of memorable voices that add depth and complexity to Solace. A rich bass solo is always welcome, but add some gospel-esqe funk infusion and Chester Todd offers up the goods for Change on the Rise. We get some really raw emotion in two tracks, too. Kinme Reeves' soaring chorus in Traitor leaves a knot in my throat; it's hard to listen to this lead's pain without a reaction. You can really feel the heaviness of life in Human, too; JP Sinuk puts it down and wipes his hands clean. If you lean in, there's some big feelings on Solace.

Hearing more pedestrian arrangements from the Octāves is tough considering the previous gems. But, collegiate groups are never the same group year over year, and achieving such a tight ensemble sound is still a fine achievement — you can't build without sturdy floorboards.

According to the Octāves' website discography, the group hasn't released an album since 2016's Beacon, which is an eternity for a college group. Based on the material the group submitted to us, it looks like Solace was recorded from 2019 to 2022, so it's possible that some of the members of the group who recorded Beacon were involved in this album. It's also quite likely that the pandemic caused some (understandable) delays to the group's recording schedule, meaning that it's also possible that no one who was in the group for Solace had ever recorded an album with the Octāves before.

It's hard to quantify exactly how much that institutional knowledge and experience matters for a group. Our reviews of Beacon made it sound as though the Octāves were poised to become the next great group, and while Solace is very good, it doesn't quite have the "wow" impact that the group had seven years ago.

Let's define what makes Solace so good: the soloists sound great, the group all sounds solid and bought into every song, and the songs all work both with the Octāves' sound and cohesively within the album as a whole. That kind of focus and attention to detail can easily be carried with the group from one year to the next, through lineup changes and the pandemic; it takes quite a bit of discipline in rehearsal to achieve that level of vocal precision and focus.

But to get to "wow", these guys need to focus on the details. The dynamics on the album don't have nearly enough range: Traitor is one of the most memorable songs here, but it doesn't have enough room to grow. I would've liked to hear it start more softly so the louds could get louder and so the parts where soloist Kinme Reeves sings on his own would really stand out. The same could be said for Golden: I love that the group starts the album strongly, but the first chorus would've popped so much more if there had been more hush in the first verse to lead into it.

There are a few songs here with arrangements less compelling than the rest of the album: Japanese Denim just drags a bit; the slower tempo is, of course, part of that, but the arrangement also just feels heavy with a lot of block chords. Similarly, the group singing on the choruses in Heat Waves doesn't do the song any favors and again makes the performance just feel a bit clunky.

But when the Octāves are on, ooooh boy are they ON. Brother is the best performance here, and it's a great note to end on. Soloist Eamon Moore and arranger Jacob Litt both need to be shouted out by name: Moore's voice just sails over these notes, belting where the melody needs the power and cooing when it needs more tenderness. Litt adds flair to the arrangement in just the right places and pulls it back when it needs more simplicity; this is the kind of arrangement that can use the group's voices to work with the dynamic arc of the song, stretching from the delicate to the brash and telling the song's story with every note along the way.

With Solace, the Octāves have reminded us that they're still quite good; with Brother, they remind us that they're capable of greatness. I hope that these singers can capture that "wow" feeling again — and that we don't have to wait another seven years to hear more recorded music from the group.

Solace is just good, clean music. And sometimes, that's enough.

Technically, it checks all the boxes with its superb studio production, vigorous group singing, and track selections that are well within the group's capabilities. To put it simply, most of the songs are audibly pleasing and perhaps won't be heavily discussed in arranger's circles as the pinnacle of innovation. However, that is okay because sometimes, music just needs to feel worth listening to.

Let's get to the heart of what the Octāves excel at on Solace.

The Octāves know how to deliver Top 40 bops! The group has cracked the secret code of recreating radio hits, and it shows on both Golden and Heat Waves. What the listener gets with both are well-executed performances that sound flawless. Golden gets a few bells and whistles in its gorgeous choral-esque opening that is full of wonderfully flowing chords. Yet, for the most part, the song is just three minutes of the group singing their behinds off in a polished fashion.

As for Heat Waves, something has to be said for a group that can cover a song, and listeners can recognize the original almost instantly. Honestly, it is shocking how the Octāves nail the instrumentation of this track with almost pinpoint accuracy. The vocal effects, especially the ones applied to the bass, play a pivotal role in the success of this song. The soloist adds his own flair, helping to make this song sound incredible.

Both Golden and Heat Waves also feature a talented vocal percussionist who deserves high praise for taking both songs over the top, giving the songs edge and believability.

Human sparks similar joy, more so from its high degree of conviction. When a group is firing on all cylinders, it is difficult to not buy into what they are selling. This song just gets it right from start to finish: its fire is stoked continuously in its immediate groove; the lively backing group attacks each section with passion; and the soloist sells the whole show until the very last note.

Japanese Denim strays from the pack in the best way. The song is ripe with seamless transitions between sections and features perhaps the smoothest-sounding lead on Solace. The track encompasses a lighter touch not found anywhere else on the album. On this track specifically, the Octāves have an air to them that just feels peaceful and would make any lead want to sing with the group.

To be honest, there are very few blemishes on Solace. As a whole, these songs are enjoyable to listen to, which is how music should be. But in the realm of critiqued music, it is missing another Japanese Denim or song that has a unique aura, capable of sucking in listeners. One or two more arrangements that push the envelope would have made this album.

All things considered, listeners will appreciate what the Octāves have created here.