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Odessa
Folk · 1995 · 14 tracks

Odessa

The Handsome Family

Gritty 1990s alt-country with live drums and distorted guitars. A darker, noisier debut that balances Midwestern alienation with biting, cynical wit.

January 9, 1995 · Island Records

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A gritty and cynical exploration of urban alienation and dark folklore delivered with a deadpan Midwestern twang.

Tracklist · 14 Tracks
01
Here's Hopin'
3:26
02
Arlene
3:38
03
Pony
3:13
04
One Way Up
3:19
05
Water Into Wine
3:13
06
Giant Ant
3:31
07
Everything That Rises Must Converge
2:50
08
Gorilla
3:38
09
The Last
3:36
10
Claire Said
3:41
11
Moving Furniture Around
3:03
12
Big Bad Wolf
3:19
13
She Awoke With a Jerk
4:20
14
Happy Harvest
2:36
Moments Worth Listening For
The jarring, distorted guitar feedback that opens 'Here's Hopin' setting a much more aggressive tone than their later work.
The deadpan delivery of the dark narrative in 'Arlene' where the baritone weight makes the murder ballad feel chillingly matter-of-fact.
The loose, almost shambolic live drum fills on 'One Way Up' that give the track a garage-rock urgency.
Reviews
AllMusic
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Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Odessa sound next to the rest of The Handsome Family's catalogue?

Dive Bar+4.0σ

Dive Bar saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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