Before I dive into the meat of this review, I must issue this disclaimer to the reader: I have been friends with Mr. Oland for 10 years now, and have played with him in rock bands almost that entire time. In fact, I am actually the drummer on almost half of the tracks on this album. Despite all of this, I will endeavour to maintain objectivity.
Oland's first solo release "Jar of Sound" is a largely upbeat outing, showcasing styles which range from Beatles-esque pop to country with flourishes of the blues and even ska appearing from time to time. To those familiar with Oland's previous two bands (Ego Orchestra in the mid-to-late 1990's and Often Wrong in 2003-04) this release could be considered a "best of" compilation, soaked with Oland's happy-go-melancholy personality.
The album begins with the upbeat 25, the happiest lament anybody has written about getting old ever. Next is Nothing to Do, an upbeat country tune about the lonliness he felt about "the girl who left him, bitch-hoe." And just when you think Mr. Oland can't write anything depressing about depressing topics, the anti-war sing-along John's Song appears as track three.
Other highlights include a very well produced rock ditty called Pebble Eyes, a nice, over-driven version of Face in the Crowd and a good "final track" in the rocker Reeling. There are many other good tunes on this release (Zero, Daisy Sideline, Time in the Day), but I think there are some superior versions of these songs floating out in space. There are also some areas where this release falls flat on its face (most notably the nonsensical country-tune On Time for Bailey), but those are few and far between. Overall, this album is very catchy and fun... a testament to a Midwestern boy who deftly bends musical genres to fit the mood of the subject matter.
Being familiar as I am with Mr. Oland's complete catalog, I would argue that some of the songs on this album are would not necessarily qualify as a "best of" in regards to arrangement. (There exists a devastatingly wicked version of Daisy Sideline as well as a Twin Peaksy, heartbreaking Time in the Day that a few fortunate souls have copies of.) Also, some of Mr. Oland's more quirky tunes (Sudden Fiction, These Dirty Hands and the dub version of Moonscraper) are noted omissions on this release.
The staff of www.skewyou.com gives "Jar of Sound" a 4 of 5 stars, noting that we expect his future releases to only get better. At $12.00, this CD is a steal. It can be purchased online at CD Baby.
The players on this album include Oland (vocals, guitar, bass, keys, drums), Moreno (saxophone, oboe and keys), Ackley (bass) and Holiday (drums on 25, Putter, Zero, Super-Ero, Daisy Sideline and Time in the Day.) All songs written by Oland.
Oland's MySpace page is: www.myspace.com/oftenwrong.
~Jazz Holiday
Oland's first solo release "Jar of Sound" is a largely upbeat outing, showcasing styles which range from Beatles-esque pop to country with flourishes of the blues and even ska appearing from time to time. To those familiar with Oland's previous two bands (Ego Orchestra in the mid-to-late 1990's and Often Wrong in 2003-04) this release could be considered a "best of" compilation, soaked with Oland's happy-go-melancholy personality.
The album begins with the upbeat 25, the happiest lament anybody has written about getting old ever. Next is Nothing to Do, an upbeat country tune about the lonliness he felt about "the girl who left him, bitch-hoe." And just when you think Mr. Oland can't write anything depressing about depressing topics, the anti-war sing-along John's Song appears as track three.
Other highlights include a very well produced rock ditty called Pebble Eyes, a nice, over-driven version of Face in the Crowd and a good "final track" in the rocker Reeling. There are many other good tunes on this release (Zero, Daisy Sideline, Time in the Day), but I think there are some superior versions of these songs floating out in space. There are also some areas where this release falls flat on its face (most notably the nonsensical country-tune On Time for Bailey), but those are few and far between. Overall, this album is very catchy and fun... a testament to a Midwestern boy who deftly bends musical genres to fit the mood of the subject matter.
Being familiar as I am with Mr. Oland's complete catalog, I would argue that some of the songs on this album are would not necessarily qualify as a "best of" in regards to arrangement. (There exists a devastatingly wicked version of Daisy Sideline as well as a Twin Peaksy, heartbreaking Time in the Day that a few fortunate souls have copies of.) Also, some of Mr. Oland's more quirky tunes (Sudden Fiction, These Dirty Hands and the dub version of Moonscraper) are noted omissions on this release.
The staff of www.skewyou.com gives "Jar of Sound" a 4 of 5 stars, noting that we expect his future releases to only get better. At $12.00, this CD is a steal. It can be purchased online at CD Baby.
The players on this album include Oland (vocals, guitar, bass, keys, drums), Moreno (saxophone, oboe and keys), Ackley (bass) and Holiday (drums on 25, Putter, Zero, Super-Ero, Daisy Sideline and Time in the Day.) All songs written by Oland.
Oland's MySpace page is: www.myspace.com/oftenwrong.
~Jazz Holiday