Black America

Oddyssey

Recession Records

2009-11-09

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• (Reviewer)

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• (Member — 0 votes)

Rosie Oddie is the latest in a long line of celebrity offspring to try their luck a the music industry.  Lily Allen, Josh Weller and Ellie Jackson are just a few of the success stories.  However, does anyone remember any of the songs by Ashley Hamilton or Jakob Dylan?  So what bracket will Rosie Oddie, daughter of former Goodie and popular TV ornithologist Bill Oddie, fall into?

Oddie has positioned herself well.  Similar to Trude Goodwin’s daughter, Ellie Jackson (La Roux), Oddie is not going it alone.  She has teamed up with a group of friends to form the ska-punk band Oddyssey.  Children of the late 80s and early 90s, the art school set claim a passion for everything from the 50s to the 80s, though they exclude The Gossip and Blondie from their list of inspirations.  This is somewhat strange as debut EP Black America does not tread far from the edgier material of both groups.

Oddie boasts a distinct raspy charm to her vocal.

Oddie boasts a distinct raspy charm to her vocal.  Sitting somewhere near a punked up Amy Winehouse, Oddie barely places a foot wrong on the four track debut.  Opening with title track “Black America”, a blast so ranty and feel good that it is impossible to sit still to, it is immediately evident that Oddie means business.

Fear not, Oddyssey are not offering another world correcting, rant fest.  Far from it, they are more upbeat funk ska fun.  Displaying extreme diversity in a short 4-track EP is no easy task, but Oddyssey more than rise to the challenge.  “Companion” is a chilled out hypnotising affair whilst “Alan” is a whirling singalong.  To close it all, Oddyssey give us our “Marching Orders”, making it impossible not to stomp your feet in time.

Oddie (and Oddyssey) have proven that they are determined to be more than celebrity offspring.  By releasing their ska infusion against the current synth heavy market, they have demonstrated that they are about the music.  Black America is an exciting introduction to a band who deserve to be around for a long time.