In the late 90s, if you'll pardon the cliché, it was the best of time and the worst of times to be a Radiohead fan. The best, because the Internet brought together us fans who obsessed over every obscure single, EP, and recording update on the band's official website. The worst, because after releasing OK Computer in Summer 1997, we would have to wait until October 2000 for the next album, Kid A. As if to placate their rabid fanbase, less than a year later Radiohead released Amnesiac, a companion album to Kid A, taken from the same recording sessions (well, other than 'Life In A Glasshouse'). You may be thinking I'm about to draw parallels to A Weird Exits and An Odd Entrances, though you'd be mistaken. To me the true Radiohead parallel is OK Computer and the North American-exclusive Airbag/How Am I Driving? EP. This mini-album, as it was labelled on the cover, serves as a companion piece to OK Computer, full of excellent tracks which either didn't make the cut or didn't flow well with the rest of the album. Despite repeating the song 'Airbag' from OK Computer, it's a release that can be judged on its own merits, just as An Odd Entrances can be despite repeating...well, alright, it doesn't technically repeat any songs, but we'll get to that a bit later.
Following A Weird Exits by a mere three months, An Odd Entrances (I'll be using the same single noun shorthand from the last retrospective hereafter) came out on November 18th, 2016. Its arrival was somewhat clouded by the announcement two days prior from drummer Ryan Moutinho that he had quit the band mid-tour. Reading the interview with him I linked in the previous retrospective, you get the sense he left in order to pursue his own projects and to step out from the role of 'the drummer' that he had consistently been roped into. Oh Sees would briefly perform, once again, as a trio before Paul Quattrone joined sometime in early 2017. Anyway, in doing research about Odd I was surprised to learn that a couple of the limited edition vinyl versions came with a 7” Flexi-disc of previously unreleased track 'Classic Bananas.' It's a fantastic song that deserves more listens and awareness. Furthermore, it's strange that it wasn't included on either Weird or Odd. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say it's because it's a bit of a throwback to the mid-era sound and the production style doesn't quite match the albums. Also, this reminds me: where the hell is Singles Collection Volume 4 already?!
Clocking in at roughly ten minutes shorter than its predecessor, Odd is a strange beast indeed. It's not quite short enough to be an EP, in my opinion. It's described as an appendix on the Bandcamp page. Then there's Spotify, who have it under 'Singles'! I'm going to go with the Airbag/How Am I Driving? EP nomenclature and refer to it as a mini-album. The closest parallel I can think of in the Oh Sees discography is actually the Moon Sick EP. Both it and Odd contain a batch of great songs (mostly slower/weirder material), they can stand on their own, and they can be taken as supplements to their parent albums. In terms of standing on its own, Odd has plenty of delights that don't require knowledge of Weird to enjoy. It starts with 'You Will Find It Here', one of, if not the best, opening songs on any Oh Sees release. Whenever I make mixes to get other people into this band, it's always my go-to opener. 'The Poem' sounds like it could be on one of the 'solo' Oh Sees records, like Drop or Castlemania. Whimsical lyrics, the guitar sound, and the overall atmosphere make me think of The Beatles circa 1967 or the first Pink Floyd album (also 1967....huh). It's perhaps worth noting that a full half of the tracks on Odd are instrumentals, something the band would continue to sprinkle on future records. I must make quick note of 'Nervous Tech (Nah John)', which is a better version of what 'The Axis' turns into toward its end. However, it's still the weakest track on Odd, relatively speaking, and it goes on too long without enough development. Liner notes indicate it's “derived from 'Go Ahead John' by Miles Davis” which makes a ton of sense when you listen to them back to back. John Dwyer still isn't really soloing in the way that makes the lengthy Miles Davis track slightly more compelling (though I also think that song goes on too long and isn't one of the best from the fusion era Davis releases). It's more like his improv on 'Contraption' off of Live In San Francisco, which is enjoyable in small doses but not for eight minutes straight. If I learned anything from the feedback from the last retrospective, your mileage will vary.
Perhaps more interesting to discuss is how Odd complements/contrasts with Weird. Let's focus on the sibling tracks from both releases. I recommend making a playlist and listening to them “in order”; it's a fun experiment. 'Unwrap The Fiend Pt. 1', from Odd, is pretty straightforward, other than the self-destructing keyboard ending, and establishes the Fiend riff/motif. 'Unwrap The Fiend Pt. 2' is a bit slower/groovier and the guitar has a greater variety of textures. I love the churning/chugging “chorus” part, always makes me visualize machinery moving things around a factory or a sped-up overhead shot of cars driving through a city center. 'Jammed Entrance' is ironically on Exits and has a killer bassline and noodly keyboard/synth solos while Dwyer takes a break from guitar. The drummers are really getting down on this track, it's a feast for percussion lovers. 'Jammed Exit' is equally compelling, with a more simple bassline and a mix that places more emphasis on the keyboard/synth. Can't forget to mention Dwyer's flute soloing on 'Jammed Exit', something that I often forget is there if I'm using Odd as background music while I drive or play videogames. Sure, 'Jammed Exit' is more monotonous than 'Jammed Entrance' but eh, it still works.
As with the Moon Sick and Airbag/How Am I Driving? EPs, mini-album Odd is a worthy quick follow-up to its parent album, one that can stand on its own merits and that can also serve as a companion piece. Lost until the last minute in all of the discussion of these twin releases is the fact that Odd would be the last time the band would operate under the Thee Oh Sees moniker. Starting with Orc, they'd shorten it to Oh Sees, though whether this was a way of signaling a slight change in musical direction or to reflect the new lineup with Paul Quattrone on drums, we'll have to find out next time.
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