It's very weird but this is the first album of one of my favourite artists out there, that I post about about here. I wasn't sure if Oddfellow's Casino and his moody, folk-like avant-garde music fits the blog, but I stopped caring and just went for it. Especially that Prince of the Starry Wheel continues his strike of albums that instantly became my personal classics.
Singer/songwriter David Oddfellow developed his unique and outstanding style that encompasses the folkotronic mix of acoustic instruments and delicate electronic sounds, the use of harmonium (I recommend listening to his podcast album where he describes the origins of his fascination with this instrument) and very moody, folk-inspired lyrics. While his previous album, The Cult of Water, presented a fascinating story-like coherent narration, Prince of... seems to be more all over the place. Although the lyrics-heavy release certainly has a theme of sorts, being "an album of earth, feet, marches, burials and the passing of time" with the title borrowed from William Blake. Another special thing about David Oddfellow is how inteligent his texts are, how many stories they include, how much influence from various places include (they make me think of Neil Gaiman each time and I don't know a better compliment).
While his music certainly has this unique atmosphere, it's fast and flow-rich, more like The Decemberists than Her Name Is Calla if you catch my drift. The lyrics but also the smooth and pop-like engaging music is what makes Oddfellow's Casino one of my favourite artists ever and this is just a humble advertisement of his rich discography to everyone.
Prince of the Starry Wheel costs 9 EUR (7 GBP).
Check: The Quiet Man and his Dutch Wife
Country: UK
Genre: poetic folkotronica
Label: Nightjar Records
