Mando Diao - Ode to Ochrasy (EMI/Majesty)
Mando Diao's Ode to Ochrasy (2006) is the third album release from this 5-piece Swedish band. The disc has 14 tracks of up-tempo British rock almost from another era (think Beatles, Kinks etc.) and it also has a hint of today's indie rock sound heard from The Bravery or The Hives. I was drawn to this band after seeing them in a DirectTV exclusive for the 2007 SWSX festival, and was particularly drawn to the bottom-end of the bass and drum players who held a tight danceable and cool ryhthm to the songs.
I was hoping this live taste would translate on the album as well and it does very nicely. Lyrically the album is dense in pop-culture with the opening track a humorous nod to ice-hockey great Luc Robitaille (Welcom Home Luc Robitaile). Other signs of the times include the songs Killer Kaczynski, Amsterdam, and TV & Me. The songs are crafted with tongue-in-cheek wit which sneaks up on you as the pace of the tracks and musicianship hook you in before you realize whats been said in the lyrics. Bjorn Dixgard delivers the vocals cleanly and intense when applicable, and the background harmonies are masterfully done. My only criticism of the disc is the production. It appears the singer Bjorn also produced it, and I wonder if an unbiased set of ears would have helped the album sonically. It seems a bit compressed and muddied in spots that seem should be clear and layered.
Overall I love the album though and it's been stuck in my car for the last week.
