The Ofersures are a sure bet in the South Bay and beyond

Friday, February 26, 2010
By Jason Boxer
Opinion Editor

Here’s a home-spun recipe for great South Bay music.

First, chop four cups of Jack Johnson’s laid back acoustic songs. Then, stir in fast-paced Bad Religion-level tempos. Remove the lead vocals and replace them with some of Green Day’s bratty punk attitude.

Add 10 gallons of mandolin, and then sprinkle some Simon & Garfunkel on top. Allow 45 minutes and 20 seconds to cook all 15 songs. This delicious punk/folk concoction is called The Ofersures.

The Ofersures’ debut album, “New Songs For Old Friends,” is a wonderful mix of all of these styles. The band, which consists of five Costa alumni, grew out of a South Bay punk group called Good For Nothing. However, Good For Nothing broke up in 2005 after a tragic car accident took the life of their lead singer, Danny Maguire.

It wasn’t until 2008 that Brian Gregoire (now the Ofersures’ mandolinist) and lead singer and guitarist Sherif Shoucri began playing music together again. After dubbing themselves The Ofersures, they were joined by drummer Ediz Basol, a former Good For Nothing member. New bassist Danny Holmes then joined, becoming the first Ofersure with an easily pronounced name.

Shoucri’s multi-instrumentalist brother, Bassem Shoucri, joined later. In April 2009, the five-piece group released “New Songs” on Static Music Inc. Records.

“New Songs” begins with “Folk Song for Dogs.” This song begins the album quietly and slowly, but then explodes into a happy rocker after only 35 seconds. Gregoire’s mandolin riff is as merry as ever, and Bassem Shoucri’s piano solo in the outro is fun enough to make even the Allman Brothers Band jealous.

Track two, “Say Goodnight, Say Goodbye,” sees the band reflecting on the loss of former frontman Danny Maguire. However, this song isn’t the tear-jerker you’d expect it to be. The lyrics of the track are filled with optimism, nostalgia and bittersweet humor, all of which allow the band members to celebrate their old friend in a positive way.

The Ofersures hit their stride on “Simple Simon Says,” the third and best song on their debut. Every mandolin note is irresistibly fun, every lyric is jumpy and punchy, and nearly every moment is perfect in this flawless pop tune. The song unravels before the last chorus as Basol’s drums and Holmes’ bass disappear, only to return and launch the song back into to its final refrain.

Both “First Drops” (track eight) and “Little Does She Know” (track 11) slow down the pace of “New Songs.” The latter is a sleepy love song drenched in harmonies, sounding like Simon & Garfunkel singing over Slackstring guitar riffs.

Strangely enough, the 13th track, named “March to the Sea,” is simply an extended Civil War reference. This fun, absurd song ends with a crazy call and response section in honor of Union general William Tecumseh Sherman.

The final song, “Tim Tim Tim,” is one of the most memorable tunes on the album. Falsetto vocals, background shouts of “woo!” and the best guitar solo on “New Songs” make this track an upbeat closer for this unique album.

A silly, low-budget music video for this song, featuring the band playing in sombreros, can also be found on Youtube.

“New Songs for Old Friends” is well worth the $9.99 it costs on iTunes. If fans seek a physical copy of this wonderful 15-song debut, it can be ordered via the band’s Myspace.