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You could compare Octoberman to the alt-country supergroup
Wilco. With lead singer Marc Morrissette's slightly
strained, fragile vocals and the occasional country riffs that rear
their heads, you can notice a similarity. But while it's obvious that
Jeff Tweedy is the front man of his group, Octoberman seems
a bit more democratic, with the spotlight shared by several backing
singers and sometimes the entire band.
If anything, it's an older Wilco that Octoberman sounds like. A Wilco
back when the songs featured an abundance of nonsensical lyrics -
as if they were to be performed on a back porch. Lyrics like "I
caught the flu and away I flew." You had no idea what the hell
Tweedy was talking about but you knew he was having fun.
Or, maybe it's Mojave 3 that they sound more like.
Lyrically, these Canadians deliver simple phrases that hold a little
more meaning. You know a band doesn't take itself too seriously when
they title a song "Shit Just Falls Apart". One highlight
is on "Elbow Room" where Morrissette actually sings, "you'd
better check yourself before you wreck yourself" and he kind
of pulls it off.
One of the album's great tracks is the title track "Run From
Safety", a mid tempo shuffle with a touch of slide guitar and
drunken Mariachi trumpet. Instrumentally, there's a well mixed variation
of horns, harmonica, and guitars throughout the record and the liberal
song structures are similar to Bright Eyes, as is the style
and sometimes the vocals. You could also compare Morrissette's vocal
delivery to Conor Oberst...minus the whiney screams and unnecessary
sketches at the top of songs. So maybe they sound more like Bright
Eyes.
Overall, Run From Safety is a really good album that will
probably suck you in on the second or third listen. And in the end,
it doesn't matter who Octoberman reminds you of. Either way, they're
great.
-Jon Murray
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