The Evens had released two albums before I'd ever even heard of them, which I still find odd. I'm a big fan of Minor Threat and Fugazi and so are many people I know - I have no idea how so much time passed before I heard that Ian MacKaye was releasing new music. The strangest thing was that the friend who finally introduced them to me was mostly into dance music, but happened to also enjoy The Evens. He'd put a song on a mixtape for another friend that he was playing on a ski trip a few years ago - in amongst a lot of minimal techno, there was this song by The Evens. Given the music around it, it made even more of an impression.
A while later I found this copy of their third album, The Odds, in All Ages in Camden. I was excited to finally hear more of the band. It sounded roughly how I remembered - relaxed but interesting. Ian's voice is so distinctive that I recognised it on the song on the mixtape and I love that it fills a Fugazi-shaped hole in my life. Amy Farina's voice is great too and absolutely soars on Warble Factor. The relative simplicity that comes from only having two instruments adds a lot somehow - it makes the songs more inviting somehow.
I've got a lot of enjoyment from The Odds over the years. It doubles as one of those rare records that is genuinely a great listen, but also you can play in polite company (which is hard to find in my record collection). I can't imagine how anyone could not enjoy songs like King of Kings or Competing With the Till. I've not picked up The Evens or Get Evens yet, but I plan to. It's only that I haven't seen them in shops that has stopped me from getting them so far. I'm looking forward to the day I find them very much.
Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 13
Cost: £11 new
Bought: All Ages, Camden
When: 04/10/14
Colour: Black
Etching: Side A: "Fred, Cath and beyond"
mp3s: Download code
