The Evens - The Odds 2012

The husband and wife duo of Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Minor Threat) and Amy Farina (The Warmers) have had a pretty good reason for their long break between their last album and 'The Odds': They've been being parents to their four-year-old son and generally just living the family life. Hopefully that kid's ready to get his own place soon, because these two have got a great thing going here, and I sure wouldn't want to see it put on hiatus again. While The Evens' sound could still be considered post-hardcore like their previous bands, it's a little more stripped-down, and the intensity-level is a good two notches lower.
But that doesn't mean it's mellow. MacKaye is still his old angry self, railing against idiots and injustice over his jagged riffs and Amy's weird, stuttering beats, resulting in a dark, almost ominous sound that shares as much in common with the post-rock of bands like Slint and Rodan as Fugazi. Farina takes vocal turns as well, and her lyrics tend to be more abstract compared with her partner's upfront and brutal honesty. The arrangements on 'The Odds' can be very complex, as evidenced by the math-rock-style odd time-signatures and angular riffs of nearly every song, especially "Warble Factor," "Wonder Why" and "Broken Finger." The most instantly accessible song on the album to me is undoubtedly "King of Kings," an infectious anthem that I could picture everyone singing along to at their shows, fists in the air. There's a tangible energy to these songs, even if MacKaye is laying off the distortion pedal some these days.

While 'The Odds' may not be the return of the Fugazi sound that some fans, I'm sure, are still craving, this is in no way a bad thing. This album finds The Evens really hitting their stride as a songwriting duo, with a chemistry that's undeniable, and songs that are creative and adventurous while still maintaining accessible--dare I say catchy?--jammy grooves for the listener to latch onto, resulting in a listening experience that makes for excellent head-bobbing music AND excellent late-night headphone music to lose oneself in for a little while.

King of Kings (First Track)

See Also 
Bob Mould