Customer Reviews

Cheerleader

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This tightly-knit group, originally from Vancouver, has been creating music that's fun, clever, and tuneful for two decades, but they've never really caught on big, which is a shame. They had a few radio hits in the 90s, but with Chris Northey's departure in 1999, the Odds essentially disbanded. Now they've reformed, and this outing deserves a much wider hearing. Their newest album fits in very well with their early work and is, if anything, even more accomplished, though not overly-polished or facile. The guitar riffs are jangly yet harmonious, the drums and bass harken back to classic rock quartets, and the vocals are always clear and strong. Northey's songs mine a vein of catchy power-pop that has been visited by the likes of the Byrds, Nick Lowe, and Matthew Sweet, but the Odds' take on it is entirely their own. Don't miss it! And while you're at Amazon, take the oppotunity to explore their back catalog. (BTW, this CD is available as an import under the name "The New Odds," but the American edition has exactly the same track listing.)

Defining the greatness of a musical offering is always difficult, but Canada's Odds make this an unsung masterpiece through the tight genius of power pop. All elements have to work completely well together - and on the first 8 tracks, the singing is world-class, the guitar hooks and interplay are riveting and massive, the drums pop, the bass is propellant, and the dynamics of the songs are done with utter mastery- leagues beyond Fountains of Wayne, fine lyrics, a representation of pure professionialism that destroys the bigger corporate behemoths.
We're all "working a breakthrough"...