Ordinary Riches

Company of Thieves | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 24, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wind-Up
• ASIN: B001P5Q6YI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,407 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Company of Thieves formed when vocalist Genevieve Schatz and guitarist Marc Walloch launched the coed indie rock group after striking up an early friendship in Chicago. Mike Ortiz was later brought aboard to handle drum duties, and the trio created a body of work reflecting today's exciting, if not uncertain times in the eclectic sound of Ordinary Riches. The album moves effortlessly from the seemingly jaunty, piano-led "In Passing" and the catchy pop tones of "Oscar Wilde" to the arena-ready sing-along chorus of "New Letters" and the Jonny Greenwood-ish guitar figures on "Old Letters."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First Musical Surprise of 2009!, January 7, 2009

By 

James Davis "fenderjd" (Newark, DE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ordinary Riches (MP3 Download)

So I came upon this band by accident and was really impressed! They remind me of Fiona Apple with guitars, a mix of classic rock with mid 80's alternative bands. At times, the lead singer sounds like the girl from Paramore but her lyrics have so much substance. Great songwriting musically as well- lots of unexpected twists and turns! I'm now a fan!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blindsided by a Company of Thieves, November 3, 2009

By 

C. P. Toennies (LAUSA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ordinary Riches (Audio CD)

My days of seeking the 'next new and amazing band that nobody has heard of' are starting to whither away as I realize the purchasing-power deficit that 30 year olds wield against the predominantly teeny-bopper driven Music Industry. However, much like love happening when you stop trying to find it or car keys reappearing after you've given up looking, finding Company of Thieves came into my life by a brilliant stroke of fortuity that was neither planned, intended, nor expected.

I went to The Knitting Factory in Hollywood one night to see a friend's band playing second on a roster of some four other bands. I didn't care who the headliners were, nor did I intend to wait for them to even grace the stage. I was there to support my friends.

After their set, we stuck around, hanging out by the 'merch' (stole that from Wilco) and finishing our cocktails. Lo and behold, a tiny sprite of a woman took the stage, backed by a cadre of what appeared to be your typical, backing musicians. I paid little attention, focusing instead on picking out a tee shirt for my friend's band to shamelessly promote them around Los Angeles.

After a song or two into Company of Thieves' set, I became confused. Having relegated them to background noise, flirting instead with random merchandise hawkers, I couldn't believe that the sprite I'd seen on stage earlier was the very same vocalist transfixing the entire audience. I'd dismissed her as a sound engineer or something. Surely that diminutive girl couldn't belt such fierce notes? However, as most biases are - my prejudices were soon and decidedly dispelled.

Genevieve Schatz is a revelation. Her voice is at one-time Bjork-like, without the kitschy, Icelandic pretense and at another a riveting and commanding Fiona Apple who (happily) doesn't expend all of her lyrics trying to prove how 'different' or 'unloveable' she is. Her onstage performances are intense and focused, as well as unencumbered by fear of any kind. Fear clearly does not exist in Ms. Schatz's dojo.

You can tell she gives it her all with every performance, never seeming to mind if she looks 'cool' while doing it. And yet - that kind of comfort and self-confidence is exactly what makes her so damned cool.

The band, and not to give them short shrift here, are equally intense and focused on nailing their performances. No offense to the guys, who do their jobs expertly and are clearly not just stage-fillers. Rather, they seem attuned to what their front-woman is doing, completely absorbed in the organic performance on a given night. It's just hard to pay attention to them while that Siren is on stage singing, unless of course, you're bound to a mast like Odysseus.

Luckily for those of you not able to catch them in concert, their debut CD - "Ordinary Riches" - masterfully captures a fair representation of what Company of Thieves is capable of. Whether it's their first single, "Oscar Wilde" with its insanely catchy chorus (or the acoustic version also found on the CD) or the strings-dominated and haunting "Fire Song", you too will know that Company of Thieves is capable of stealing your heart...

Especially if you're not looking...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nicely produced and written album., July 15, 2009

By 

Anthony Pantliano "The Photo Guy" (New York State) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ordinary Riches (Audio CD)

(What's this?)

Company of Thieves' album Ordinary Riches is a nicely constructed, and well-written album. It's performed well, both instrumentally and vocally, with the female singer having an ethereal quality. The vocals range from soft and slow to more intense and quicker. There is good depth and complexity to the instruments as well. The tracks vary nicely in tempo, but they start to sound a bit monotonous and similar after a while.

Ordinary Riches doesn't sound like something produced just to climb up the charts, but rather to be enjoyed for what it is, regardless of how mainstream it becomes. It's labeled as rock, but it's not really a hard or soft rock. It falls somewhere in between. The sound is reminiscent of One Republic or The Fray, to my ear at least (my preferred genre is Country, to give you an idea of my experience with Rock groups). The lyrics are meaningful and show attention to getting a message across as opposed to fitting the song into a certain time frame.

All in all...a good rock album for those who don't rock too hard, a nice production overall.