Brief info: Oddity is a three-piece alt-rock band formed in Chicago in 2012. They were originally called Fletcher, independently released two EPs (Open Arms and Thundersteps in 2012 and 2013), changed their name in early 2016 and are on the cusp of a UK release for their debut album Settle Down.
There, now we’re all up to date what’s the fuss all about? Oddity are a “cool” band in the “hey man, chill out” kind of way. Rather than tear your face off with hooks and fast riffs, they go for the lo-fi, distorted, twangy guitar sound and repeated, simple rhythms. Settle Down is the kind of album that’s very easy to pop on and just soak yourself in.
That’s not to say that the songs aren’t catchy. Indeed, the emotional cries from vocalist Oscar in tracks like “Night Owl” are reminiscent of Curt Cobain or Dave Grohl in the earlier Foo Fighters’ material. There is a grungy kind of edge to the album as well. As I mentioned before, it’s lo-fi and that was always a big thing with the Seattle sound. Oddity have taken that and refined it, smoothed some of those rough edges off a bit.
The tracks can be quite upbeat, such as “Get Out of my Hair” which is one of the punchiest songs; or melancholy as demonstrated by “Rolling With the Punches” which is a definite stand-out track in part simply due to it being so different to the rest of the album. If there’s a song on Settle Down that could be described as “trippy”, this is it.
Being honest, this end of the alt-rock spectrum isn’t my kind of thing but it’s to Oddity’s credit that I gave the album quite a few listens before writing this review. Check out the track below and hold out for the July 29th release date if this is your kind of thing. If it is, then I think you’ll enjoy the whole album.
Oddity: official | facebook | twitter | soundcloud | bandcamp
