Let’s go back to late 1994, when a short-lived band started making noise in Texas. At the time, nobody could have known that Chris Pullman, Mark Ryan, and Mike Throneberry would later go on to play in some of the most beloved garage punk and power pop bands of the next three decades. Back then, they were simply Oddfellows.
The original band barely lasted long enough to leave behind a single 7″, but its members would later form or join bands such as Marked Men, High Tension Wires, The Reds, and Mind Spiders. Three decades later, the trio reunited, recruited Peter Salisbury (Mind Spiders) on guitar, and finally recorded a full-length album.
At just under 30 minutes, Oddfellows delivers 13 new songs plus a fresh take on The Reds’ I Hate Rules (which absolutely belongs on any classic punk playlist). Released through Dirtnap and Wild Honey, the record feels perfectly at home on both labels. The band’s dirt-pop DNA is immediately recognizable, and the album sounds pretty much exactly how you’d hope a record involving these musicians would sound.
You can hear traces of early Marked Men and Mind Spiders throughout, but I also love how songs like Time and I Burned Your Lawn drift into Nerves-style power pop territory. Oddfellows understand that simplicity can be a superpower. Give these guys two minutes and they’ll throw a garage-pop gem your way built from a handful of chords, a memorable hook, and just enough repetition to lodge itself permanently in your brain.
Not everything races by at full speed, though. Songs like Draw The Line, Yeah Yeah Yeah, and Think Twice reveal a more relaxed, patient side of the band. Which makes sense. After all, there are 31 years between the debut single and the debut album. Turns out some things really are worth the wait.
Add to wanlist: Bandcamp || Wild Honey || Dirtnap
