Dandy Warhols - Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars

  by Olga Sladeckova

published: 29 / 8 / 2005

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Review

The Dandy Warhols have already proved themselves to be a band with huge potential and talent. Having been making music since 1992 with no decrease in their popularity, having released four albums and having played all over the world there is not a doubt about that. Their fifth album ‘Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars’ is, however, not one of those successes. The album opens with a radio-like monologue which talks of the Warhols as great heroes. The following song, 'Colder than the Coldest Winter Was Cold', does have a great tune and rhythm to open with. Its music is powerful with a variety of instruments blending together. Lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor's voice is slightly faded and streams through the music gracefully. As the song progresses it seems to lose its focus a bit. It actually reminded me very much of Spiritualized's endless druggy sounds. This nine and a half minute song then finally ends with all the instruments weakening into silence. Kicking off with a trumpet ‘All the Money Or The Simple Life Honey’ strikes up an optimistic attitude. Its simple rhythm is easy to follow. The song actually turns the direction of the album a little bit towards country music. It does, doesn't it? When I play the next song ‘The New Country’ I’m sure of it. This song is a pure country song – the whole package with banjo sounds, harmonica and twangy vocals. I must admit by the time I play track 7 ‘Did You Make A Song With Otis’ to being very confused. The song opens with a dog barking which continues throughout the song while the band members sing something that sounds like a nursery rhyme. It might be. I just don’t really know many. The following song ‘Everyone Is Totally Insane’ puts the album back on track again. The music offers a variety of well managed instruments as is characteristic to the band. In the lyrics Courtney reflects on his life and the way we all live. “Hear me out cos I must have changed. Constricted and constrained just to learn about how everyone is totally insane.” Overall the lyric is very thoughtful. At the end of the album you are treated to more experimental music full of variety of sounds. It gives the album a somewhat boring and insignificant ending. I do think the Dandy Warhols have a great potential. Unfortunately ‘Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars’ fails to prove that. On it the Dandy Warhols dispel too much diversity for their own good and it becomes simply self-indulgent

Track Listing:-

1 Colder Than The Coldest Winter Was Cold
2 Love Is The New Feel Awful
3 Easy
4 All The Money Or The Simple Life Honey
5 The New Country
6 Holding Me Up
7 Did You Make A Song With Otis
8 Everyone Is Totally Insane
9 Smoke It
10 Down Like Disco
11 There Is Only This Time
12 A Loan Tonight

Band Links:-

https://www.dandywarhols.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDandyWarho
https://twitter.com/TheDandyWarhols

Label Links:-

http://www.parlophone.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/parlophone
https://twitter.com/parlophone
http://parlophonerecords.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/Parlophon
https://instagram.com/parlophone/