Genre: Alternative Rock, Modern Rock
“Moments of self-control place my hands upon the wheel…”
Straight rock music in 2023 can seem dull. This is not a bold statement to make, and many music lovers share this sentiment; repetitive sounds and rip offs of earlier rock groups seem to saturate the modern rock market and make it tired and boring. Enter Odd Army, an LA-based quartet that is putting a new zest into today’s hard rock scene.
Odd Army released their first full length album, “Chrysalis, Become!” in the summer of 2023. Forming in the Bay Area in 2013, Odd Army relocated to Los Angeles to continue their musical pursuit and joined forces with artist services group Cage Riot, with whom they released this debut album.
“Illusions” is the last single released from 2023’s “Chrysalis, Become!” The song is a true band effort, with each member’s contribution equally instrumental to the overall sound. They are an incredibly dynamic group, efficiently playing off of each other and utilizing the space between the notes to create a balance between dark and light sounds.
As a band, Odd Army’s overall vibe brings to mind the gritty essence of garage psych
acts like Thee Oh Sees and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The song “Illusions" itself leans into modern garage rock’s 90s post grunge roots, with a dynamic heaviness reminiscent of early Soundgarden. The production on this track is slick yet subtle, and maintains a sense of garage-y grit despite the technically difficult songwriting.
In the verse, the grooving bassline and sparse guitar seamlessly intertwine to create an airy atmosphere for the vocals to soar over. The pre chorus section provides a needed build up for when the main riff kicks in, and with that, the song takes off to greater heights.
The riff, droning yet sharp and attention grabbing, is the glue that holds the track together, which is a necessary staple in the genre Odd Army falls under. In bands like Odd Army’s case, the riff is oftentimes the most crucial make-or-break aspect of the song, and the guitar work on “Illusions" is able to push the song into riff rock greatness.
Another notable aspect of the track are the vocals. The singer displays a vocal prowess
that adds to the heaviness of the track. His vocal style, complete with soaring notes and vibrato, brings to mind the great grunge singers of the 90s, while creating a unique modern edge.
“Illusions" features an integral breakdown where the band slows it down, but kicks it into
heaviness. The riff is warped and inverted over a changing, heavier drumbeat. Every post grunge-esque song needs a good breakdown, and “Illusions” provides an amazing outro that adds a sense of completion to the track.
“Illusions,” as well as Odd Army’s entire first album is worth a listen. The debut effort
provides room for growth and experimentation that should be exciting for fans of this
sound to keep up with. It is likely we will see them end up in the same league as some of the greats in their genre, and I look forward to what they create next. Make sure to follow them
@oddarmyband and catch them at their many upcoming show dates.
For fans of:
Wand
Queens of the Stone Age
Thee Oh Sees
Follow Odd Army on Instagram: https://instagram.com/oddarmyband?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Stream "Illusions" on Spotify: https://spotify.link/1dXmU14yQDb
Stream "Illusions" on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/illusions/1706927924?i=1706928256&ls
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