The Odds is the third album by indie/punk duo The Evens. It was released on November 20, 2012.[11][12]
Reception
The Odds has a Metacritic score of 83 based on 14 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".[1] Musician and critic John Robb, reviewing the album for the website Louder Than War, compared Farina's "soaring, cutting free voice" to that of Patti Smith, calling the record a "welcome missive from the heartland of idealistic musical culture that stands on its own terms with its musical content [...] a great record that is musically and emotionally powerful and stands out on its own as one of the key releases in this fractured and strange year."[13] Pitchfork's Douglas Wolk praised the album, calling it a "powerful example of aging gracefully [...] The Odds is, in every way, the product of scaling down operations rather than of giving up or throwing the fans a nostalgia trip." However, the review does reserve some criticism for the track "Competing with the Till", on which Wolk describes the duo as sounding like "cranky old folks".[8] The track is also criticized by Jordan Cronk of Cokemachineglow in an otherwise positive review, who describes the song as a "blunt and fairly awkward missive. Like a nervier rendition of Fugazi's “Returning the Screw," the track moves between a sparse narrative outlining the injustices perpetrated on the group by ignorant club owners and a twisting chorus that turns the title phrase into an easy potshot."[14]
The album was listed 45th on Stereogum's list of their top 50 albums of 2012.[15]
Track listing
- "King of Kings" – 2:28
- "Wanted Criminals" – 3:15
- "I Do Myself" – 2:52
- "Warble Factor" – 2:26
- "Sooner or Later" – 4:42
- "Wonder Why" – 4:11
- "Competing with the Till" – 2:36
- "Broken Finger" – 3:24
- "Architects Sleep" – 2:43
- "Timothy Wright" – 4:01
- "This Other Thing" – 3:00
- "Let's Get Well" – 2:42
- "KOK" (Reprise of "King of Kings") – 2:13
Personnel
References
[2]
[4]