Listening to Oso Oso always feels like sitting on the beach and starting at the ocean. Or at least that’s how I’ve felt for the last decade.
Sometimes we’re reflecting on an obstacle we overcame or a life milestone we’ve reached. At other points, we’re gazing into the abyss, watching a grey-blue sea and wondering how we reached this new low point or how we’ll get through a monumental loss.
Through the good and the bad, Jade Lilitri’s music has been there for me. In 2019, he released an album called Basking in the Glow, a sepia-toned collection of pop-punk/emo songs with immaculate hooks and catchy choruses. Amid its bright tones was a strong undertow of fighting through the hard times to celebrate life’s little victories. It was my go-to album throughout the early pandemic years, and I revisit it often.
I hope everyone has a safe harbor like that in their musical library, and if you don’t, I have an album for you.
Released in 2026, An Exchange of Information is certainly the biggest sounding record in Oso Oso’s discography to date. There are layers of guitar, vocals, and bass, and Jade takes his singing to new heights on several of these songs.
This album reminds me of 1996 in the best way. It’s warm and inviting, and it gives you the sense that Jade hasn’t lost touch with that earnestness at the core of Oso Oso. To me, his songs have always been about wanting to be the best version of yourself while acknowledging that we’re all imperfect and that we’re going to fuck up along the way. The intent is what matters.
“It’s All Bait” might be my favorite song Oso Oso has ever released, and it just gets better with every listen.
“Always late / When you need us in crunch time / I’m not the star you thought you signed / But these refs won’t let me shine.”
We’re all imperfect protagonists, but we’re doing our best amid circumstances that are out of our control.
“Know You Know Me Better” is another standout on an albums of songs that absolutely rip. Halfway through the song, Jade sings that he sees his partner as someone he could spend his life with.
“‘Cause I see you as someone who I could see / By my side, the days going by / Not a single care whatsoever / Not a single fucking care whatsoever.”
Just a few lines later, Jade is already pondering whether this is too perfect to last and asks his partner to let him know when it starts to “lose its glow.” This is the heart of Oso Oso — wistful, hoping for the best, and planning for the worst. As an anxious person in a generation defined by existential anxiety, I could not relate more deeply.
There’s always a risk when you go outside your comfort zone to try something new. Oso Oso could’ve played it safe, but they chose to push their boundaries and go big. I adore this album and, in my view, Jade has never been better.
Oso Oso has been a constant in my life through a sea of change. An Exchange of Information is going to be the soundtrack of my late 30s. Just like before, I know there will be peaks that I can’t imagine and valleys that I could never have foreseen. It’s comforting to go through it with an artist who helps you feel seen and heard, particularly when times are tough.
On “She Rides in the Stars,” he sings: You bend or try, but you just break
Don’t try to move, the floor just shakes
Refuse to explain
You are loved immensely either way I say
Sometimes all we need is a little affirmation and a pat on the back. Thanks for everything, Jade.
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