Odds

Cheerleader

(Second Motion)

Record Review by Marcel Feldmar

Yes, the Odds are back, and while now they seem to be sometimes referred to as “The New Odds” due to a short lived lapse of the rights to the original band name, they’re still just the Odds to me. While I was there right at the beginning, kind of, I lost track over the years (as did many others, probably) as the band managed to vanish in 1999. Though they formed in 1987, they didn’t really hit popular culture until the song “Heterosexual Man” shot through the radios and televisions in ‘93, with a video starring a few members from the Kids In The Hall.

They did have a couple of singles before that, and a few after, but that particular one is the song that lingers in my ears. While the line-up has changed over the years, principal songwriter Craig Northey has remained on board along with original bassist Doug Elliott. The reason I first became interested in this band was because of drummer Paul Brennan, who has moved on to (probably) better paying gigs. I was a huge fan of his previous band, the Animal Slaves, though this band was moving in a completely different direction, I still wanted to hear what was going on.

Now, it seems they got more of the same going on, but with Pat Steward on drums (who had previously played with Limblifter and, dare I say it, Bryan Adams) and Murray Atkinson on guitar, as a replacement for Steven Drake.

The music moves fairly straightforward and poppy, but with an emphasis on the singer/songwriter vibe. For some reason I find myself thinking about The Pursuit of Happiness, perhaps it’s just the “Canadian Connection”, but seeing as TPOH hit with their “I’m an Adult Now” single in 1986, and the Odds formed shortly afterwards, perhaps there is a some influence lying around there.

There’s also some of that nice old school pop rock groove going on. Some Joe Jackson touches and a little spaced out guitar effect that shimmers like an AC/DC intro. Interestingly enough, the AC/DC reference falls in a song called “Write It In Lightning”. Coincidence?

The songs move on, with some of those “old school tasty licks” falling across the guitars, and catchy power-pop rhythms lining the choruses. There’s some sports bar background vocals going on at times, and I feel like having a pint. A few mellower tunes move a little like Elvis Costello, but with a little more rock balladry and less of that cool punk edge, although “Feel Like This All The Time” is a nice one. “Always Breaking Heart” is another slow moving one, but here it moves a little too over-sentimental. This ain’t Whiskeytown. The Odds keep my attention a little better when they move into more of an edgy rock groove, like on “Breakthrough” or “Leaders of the Undersea World”, but the album as a whole flows fairly well and will probably not disappoint most Odds fans. I think at times the music seems to take away from the strength of the lyrics, but usually it seems like a good fit.