Odious Blot is an independent singer/songwriter who recently released Around, Around. The artist plays all the instruments and even engineered the album as well. That’s a lot to handle and the artist does give us some insight into his process. He explains: “The songs on Around, Around are all based on songs written on acoustic guitar. They're built up from there with the addition of electric guitars, electric basses, keyboards, drums and occasionally some sax samples.”
The first song is called “Around, Around” and is an airy tune with clean guitars, drums, bass and more. I thought the vocals were catchy and the song felt accessible upon first listen. He sings about vicious cycles and there’s a very cool guitar led breakdown in the middle. “Tired of Running” is upbeat and joyful sounding. The feeling here is bright and feels like a spring day where the weather is perfect. It’s a dynamic song with sincere lyrics about a romantic partner. “Every Time” is a fun one and I loved the lead guitar fills on this song. There’s a hint of Peter Gabriel at least in the voice to me. The chorus is strong and has an empowering message that seems to be about moving on with your life. “Angels Upon Us'' is a jazzy tune that has its moments with prominent vocal melodies while “Hope” is a very warm tune that sort of fits into easy listening at least in terms of the aesthetics. “Love Me” is the centerpiece to me. The song drives and is a little more pensive and even dark in some ways. Radiohead came to mind at points. Last up is “Learned by Now” which has some fantastic guitar work. His skills and talents on the guitar shine here as there are multiple melodies going on at once that are technically difficult. My only critique is in regards to the recording quality. The artist did a good job overall but he was tackling a lot of duties and too many in my opinion. This is a case where I think handing off to a mastering engineer would have helped out. I noticed the recording quality and sonic imprint does vary on some songs and that’s really the area where a mastering engineer can really shine. Overall, this was a solid release with some songs that really shined. Take a listen.
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May 2024
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