[.ca] Neopolitan

The Best Unknown Band I Know..:
"Neopolitan" was my introduction to the Odds nearly 9 years ago when I was playing guitar in a garage band in NYC. Hearing it was one of those moments that blows you away: they were (and are) everything we wanted to be and more.. subtle and powerful, sincere, clever, honest and sometimes funny (Wendy Under The Stars). They're a wonderfully gifted band that is as adept with cranking in-your-face guitars (No Warning) as they are with gorgeous harmonies or just a lone acoustic (Trees). You can try and pigeonhole them into some neat catagory but they really don't fit. They DO have their very own *thing* and perhaps in this world of "me too" flash in the pan bands, that does make them Odd. Nearly a decade later I can listen to this album (or any of their subsequent work) and think, "damn, I'd like to join *that* band.." Do yourself a favor and seek this CD out, new, used or whatever.

Great band, great album:
This is a great album! Having had the privilege of hearing Odds from conception, as well as many of the project bands from before Odds came together, I really appreciate this great album. Their catchy melodies and tongue-in-cheek fun lyrics capture the essence of who Odds are. Witty, fun and know how to write a great catchy tune - stuff you love to sing along with. Also, I have heard "Wendy" was written about Steven's first time.

A Strong Debut:
The Odds are one of those solid, unheralded bands that make consistently appealing, if not terribly groundbreaking, albums. The nearest comparison I can make is to Dada, although the Odds fall somewhat short of that band's lofty heights. That's not much of a critisism though. Every Odds album has it's charms, and on this, the debut, they key track is "Wendy Under the Stars", an insightful reminiscence into virginity lost to an older woman on the night of Elvis Presley's death. "I pulled away so I could hear what the newsman on the television said, he said the king of rock and roll was dead, and in the spooky television light, she said 'don't ever forget this night'". She indeed makes it an unforgetable night for the protagonist. Years later, looking back, "I thought I loved her but I didn't know how, I don't love her when I see her now. But with the tape deck turned up loud, she made a young man feel strong and proud". Perhaps if the Odds had first appeared in 1979, they would have been huge. Instead, they are a pleasure enjoyed by only a small cult of in-the-know fans.

• King of the Heap
• No Warning
• Are You Listening?
• Evolution Time
• Eternal Ecstasy
• Family Tree
• Wendy Under the Stars
• Truth or Dare
• Love Is the Subject
• Trees
• Domesticated Blind
• Big White Wall
• Horsehead Nebula