Odario/Daveband/PUP
Odario
Good Morning Hunter // Do Right Music
Odario (née Odario Williams) seamlessly merges his storytelling skills and charismatic energy into a mix of house, hip-hop, beat poetry, and jazz grooves on Good Morning Hunter. Recording sessions first began in the early days of the pandemic in March 2020. The record addresses the heaviness felt by many throughout 2020 while lyrically & musically focusing on positivity, resilience, and making the most out of current situations.
On the opening track “Peace”, a side-to-side sway is inevitable while Odario encourages the listener to “enjoy the ride”. The idea for the song came to him while he was searching for other available music that would “inject a sense of hope and positivity” into his life during these trying times. A standout line of “Peace” that is sure to facilitate personal reflection on the type of energy we bring into the world is: “respect gratitude and growth / if you come around here to disturb / I’ll chase you off this earth”.
The opening tracks flow together, beautifully layering piano with percussive grooves, stylistic synth lines and potent steelpan vibrations. One can’t help but feel that they’re travelling back to the time of slinking through a sweaty, packed club full of enticing house beats. It is not surprising that this release features guests on each track - Odario has been in the scene for many years and rubs shoulders with a variety of artists. He most notably fronts the hip-hop collective Grand Analog, co-writing three albums, three EPs and numerous singles. He is also an actor, DJ and currently hosts CBC Music’s Afterdark program where he focuses on sharing indie soul music.
Following the techno-tinged “Midnight: Ghosts” aided by the smooth vocal stylings of Chad Price on the hook, the listener is launched into the highlight “Good Morning Hunter”. The track includes an incredibly moving guitar solo courtesy of seasoned guitarist Adrian X (Drake, the Weeknd). The feature is perfectly placed - coming halfway through the runtime, just when the listener may be needing a little relief from the dancey beats of the opening songs. The guitar is matched with a wavy synth, creating a mesmerizing, dream-like effect.
Odario showcases an impressive, characteristic flow throughout Good Morning Hunter - but especially on the title track, effortlessly bouncing through lines like: “I see clearer now, I’m more demanding now, I see right thru ‘em like abandoned building, I see I see I see, you see my flow so icy cold you can’t placate, what is this place? I’ll set fire to the old empire, stayed up all night to build your boy tired...” before weaving back into the hook: “good morning, I shed my old soul as I woke from my slumber, good morning, ay ok okay what’s on the menu today”. Matching these thoughtful lyrics over an instantly captivating beat reminds listeners that each morning is a new opportunity for us to get up and meet the day with conviction. The title track is followed by its own remix that continues to stick this melodic highlight in the listener’s subconscious.
He then drops into powerful spoken-word track “Disatro” featuring Angelita SB before concluding with lead single “Hot Hot Heat”. Featuring Do Right label mate Kamilah Apong soaring over the hook, the closing song is best served through the loudest speakers you own. Get ready to dance and be prepared to keep this song - and the entire release - on heavy rotation.
- Greg Torwalt
Daveband
This Was Your Dad At 28 // Independent
Oh the 80’s you had your charms and I find myself drawn to things that bring back that feeling of nostalgia. Old shows and music. Everything old comes full circle again even fluorescent colours and acid wash. That’s what originally piqued my interest. With a title like, This Was Your Dad At 28, and a big Burt Reynolds kind of moustache I knew there’d be some solid gold here with Daveband.
Daveband is a power/pop trio from beautiful Nova Scotia. This gem of an album was recorded at New Scotland Yard Studios in Dartmouth, N.S. Dave Archibald is the founder and gives an honest, humble style to his songwriting. Simple songs with real life lyrics from real moments which gives his songwriting an organic feel. Finding joy in the everyday, it’s really a refreshing authentic experience. Since the days are getting shorter, and winter's grip is almost upon us I’ll take all the warm vibes and summer sunshine rays I can! This album contains enough sunshine to carry us through. This Was Your Dad At 28! will surely help keep the blues away!
“Might Be Alright” kicks things off with it’s upbeat tempo and sets a nice tone for the rest of the album. I learned this song was written about overcoming a difficult period of depression. This song offers a message of hope. The chorus really struck a chord with me. Perhaps from things we used to say as kids….
“Starlight oh starbright.
First star I see in the sky tonight.
I think I may, I think I might,
In the end make it out alright.”
“Last Day Of Summer” is definitely one I keep coming back to. The one that gets stuck in my head. It’s fun 50’s sing along vibe and cheeky lyrics made me crack up a few times. If you pitch in five for gas you can come along for the ride and something about sand in his shorts… All cheekiness aside, the lyrics make me want to slow dance in the sand or the kitchen or the snow. I’ll take any dancing anywhere anytime, and oh we danced….
“Life can be a bummer,
It’s too bad, but it’s true.
But not when I’m with you.”
I also have to mention the beautiful little guitar ditty in this song. Between that riff and the words I think my heart just melted.
Finally the song that had me pulling out the map… ”Sackville”. There are many parts to “Sackville”. This one became a great topic of conversation, inspiration, and brought back a few memories of my own. Once again I bring up the storytelling aspect of Dave’s work. I feel like I really got to know him through this song. As he tells of experience growing up in Sackville, enjoying bands playing and wanting to play at this big music festival SappyFest. What an adventure from the sounds of it! I love when the music slows down and Dave goes into a storytelling rant about what he did and who he’d seen at the festival. Name drops some pretty big acts such as Shotgun Jimmie who had played a mean cover of the Constantines. On his way to catch John McKiel playing at the Legion, he stopped and blazed a doobie with Josée and Lucy from Partner thinking he was missing their set for McKiel’s. But in a surprise twist, Partner was late to take the stage, giving him the opportunity to see “the best rock show he’d ever seen”. What a stellar story! What a stellar song! I’ve been to Nova Scotia a couple of times for family reunions and we’ve driven by Sackville but never stopped…. maybe next time we’ll stop in while SappyFest is going down and catch him playing.
This Was Your Dad At 28 by Daveband has many treasures, some laughs, and keeps the summer vibes flowing! This album is definitely bringing some light to us all. Thank you Daveband for this bit of sunshine!!
Made my day so much brighter. Don’t let the world steal your joy. Getting back to gratitude and good music. Take a listen! Your ears will definitely thank you!
Love Always,
Green Noreen
PUP
This Place Sucks Ass // Littler Dipper
Pop Punk fans rejoice, the Toronto-based PUP has returned with a fine treat of an EP with the release of This Place Sucks Ass on October 23, 2020. The act – consisting of Stefan Babcock (vocals and guitar), Steve Sladkowski (guitar and vocals), Zack Mykula (drums and vocals), and Nestor Chumak (bass and vocals) – has been active under the name PUP since 2013, along with their release of their self-titled. The group rose to prominence with their second record The Dream is Over (2016) with tracks like “DVP” making its rounds and exerting beyond just music – like being featured in the dating simulator, Dream Daddy, in a sequence where you are trying to impress the Hipster Dad at the local show and so he happens to be a PUP fan. And with yet another 3-year gap in between, Morbid Stuff (2019) strongly followed up on the anticipations left from their second album. Now, This Place Sucks Ass includes tracks that did not make the track list for Morbid Stuff – not only does it break the 3-year gap between releases, but also it allows the band to take a slightly different direction with what they are offering this time around.
Out of the six tracks in the EP, the first three were also released as its promotional singles. “Rot” kicks off the EP with a strong disjointed intro as all instruments converge into a strong pop-punk hook. The breakdown towards the end of the track adjusts everything to an energetic build up to make that catchy hook gain some momentum. It’s upbeat in a way that showcases PUP’s iconic sound. By contrast, “Anaphylaxis” is more of a rhythmic song, the kind that would you find yourself chanting along with the band at a concert hall. The drums really stand out, especially when the drumsticks play such significant role in this track beginning to end – there was something wildly ingenious there, as it took me a few listens to notice that the drumstick beat was there during the discordant guitar intro to the track. Rhythm really takes the hold of this song, not just in the drums, but the cues that the whole band take on together. For example, the rhythmic variation in the second pre-chorus stands out as the odder beats get brought back to a repetition of the intro which the kicks just right. The next track, “A.M. 180,” is a cover of the Grandaddy song as popularized in the film 28 Days Later – PUP’s take really captures the original while also adding a heavier and more aggressive punk take. The song starts with some swinging melodies that clear the way for a pop punk ballad. This take on the track reminded me of some early Joyce Manor at times, particularly taking the main melody into a swinging guitar riff. And this cover also benefits from some stylistic break beats and breaks that give the song more a unique dynamic beyond the swing that drives most of the track. “Nothing Changes” is the first new song that we see in This Place Sucks Ass. Quite ironically, this track is certainly changing the pace: between the open strings that begin the song, the instrumental breaks, and dynamic verses, we see a track that takes a lot of quick directions and then opens up to a harmonizing chorus that gives the song a sense of loose relief after such tight rhythmic dynamics. And while “Nothing Changes” returns to these tight rhythms, the bridge and outro release all of its pent-up energy onto an easygoing end. Then, “Floodgates” features a fun instrumental arrangement where the introductory build up lets go onto an angular, disjointed coordination of the guitars, drums, and bass. And yet, despite how much there is going on in the instrumental track, there is always a consistent vocal groove that makes this instrumental detail very subtle. As the song starts getting louder, it wholeheartedly embraces this instrumental edge and lets it shine at the bridge and at the very end of the song – an ending that is more akin to the sort of thing that you listen to in a skramz song. And with this, “Floodgates” transitions directly to the end of the EP. The last track is titled “Edmonton” – and it happens to be where I reside and also happens to be the second track titled “Edmonton” that I have reviewed this year. This is the shortest song of the whole and one of the more energetic songs with spazzing vocals and musical deliveries that make a homage to Edmonton’s hardcore scene. With this really intense song, it is also worth noting that the lyrical material is also brutal in its honest reflection. Frankly, it is one of those examples of where you don’t have to say much to leave an impact, as this track is a hard-hitting vignette of a moment in Edmonton confronting death while being caught up the show atmosphere, being drunk and remorseful about neglecting something very real. This is probably my favorite track in the whole release just because of how different it is from the regular PUP repertoire, its mention of my home-base from a very relatable standpoint, and at that, just an honest bit of lyrical work.
This Place Sucks Ass is certainly a quick pop-punk punch from some of the finest artists in the genre. The place which sucks ass is currently everywhere, wherever you are caught up in layers and layers of crap. The record is not just taking on the classic “I wanna leave my hometown” approach to PUP-punk, it also opens a kind of solidarity to the fact that anywhere we try to go next is not necessarily better. And though this may develop a form of desensitization from the bullshit that shapes up a lot of the world right now, songs like “Edmonton” still offer a brutally honest account of being faced with the real and its immeasurable stakes, however much it ends up smothered in crap and limelights (which are sometimes the same thing). This Place Sucks Ass definitely offered an opportunity to share what did not make it into “Morbid Stuff,” and then took a few risks with their cover of “A.M. 180” or with “Edmonton” which is just over a minute long. This is an exciting direction to see for PUP, as that space for playing around with the formula can be impactful, three albums in and onwards.
- Simone A. Medina Polo
