Romance

Released in 2018, Romance marks a significant milestone for Oneida as their first studio-produced effort following the 2011 destruction of their longtime Brooklyn headquarters, the Ocropolis. This displacement informs the album's thematic core, which critics like Pitchfork noted as an exploration of inhospitable environments. Sonically, the album is a sprawling double-LP that bridges the gap between their earlier, more abrasive noise-rock tendencies and a more expansive, synth-heavy psychedelic sound. The track 'All in Due Time' serves as a centerpiece of this evolution, blending their trademark motorik drive with cosmic textures. The album concludes with the 18-minute 'Shepherd’s Axe', a masterclass in the band's 'psychedelic endurance' philosophy. Critics across AllMusic and NPR praised the record for its ability to innovate within the band's established framework of repetition, noting that the move to an outside studio resulted in a richer, more layered production style than their previous lo-fi recordings.