Blue Plate Special: The Ocean Blue
The Ocean Blue emerged from the quiet suburbs of Hershey, Pennsylvania, weaving dreamlike textures into shimmering indie pop that evoked both nostalgia and discovery. From the opening chords of Between Something and Nothing, their music painted images of vast skies, reflective waters, and fleeting summer nights, drenched in the cool hues of melancholy and wonder. With David Schelzel’s wistful vocals floating atop chiming guitars, fluid basslines, and touches of saxophone, their sound carried echoes of The Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen, and R.E.M., yet retained a uniquely American innocence—wistful, literate, and quietly radiant. Their early years on Sire Records placed them at the forefront of alternative radio, while their shimmering live shows felt like stepping into a watercolor canvas alive with movement.
Across their catalog—from the crystalline debut and the ethereal sweep of Cerulean to later works like Ultramarine and Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves—the band has perfected a style both lush and restrained. Their songs evoke seaside horizons, city lights reflected on rainy streets, and the timeless ache of yearning. Even decades on, The Ocean Blue continue to craft music that feels like memory and dream colliding, a sound as refreshing and fragile as waves breaking at dusk. Their legacy is not only in chart success but in the emotional landscapes they have etched for fans—spaces of reflection, longing, and quiet beauty.
Some of my favorites from their catalog:
Between Something and Nothing – from the album The Ocean Blue (1989)
Latin Blues – from the album Ultramarine (2013)
Mercury – from the album Cerulean (1991)
Slide – from the album See The Ocean Blue (1996)
Crash – from the album Beneath Rhythm and Sound (1992)
All the Way Blue – from the album Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves (2019)
Vanity Fair – from the album The Ocean Blue (1989)
Sunshower – from the album Waterworks (2014)
Denmark – from the album Davy Jones’ Locker (1999)
