Falling between the energetic pop/rock of mod revival and the psychedelic experimentations of
Traffic, Ocean Colour Scene came to be one of the leading bands of the traditionalist, post- Britpop of the mid-'90s. Although they had formed in [solihull Birmingham[/placeformed] in the late '80s and had several hits during the height of Madchester in the early '90s, the band didn't earn a large following until 1996, when their second album,
Moseley Shoals, became a multi-platinum success story in the U.K. Their ascent was greatly aided by
Paul Weller and Oasis'
Noel Gallagher, both publicly praised Ocean Colour Scene for keeping the flame of real rock & roll burning during the '90s. And, according to one specific definition, they were right, since Ocean Colour Scene was nothing if not rock & roll traditionalists, drawing heavily from British Invasion pop, psychedelia, soul, R&B, and blues-rock to create a reverential homage to classic rock. Their devotion to trad rock may have earned them decidedly mixed reviews, but that was the very thing that earned them a sizable following.
