''The Odds'' is the third album by indie/punk duo

The Evens The Evens are a Washington, D.C. indie-rock duo, formed in the fall of 2001, comprising partners Ian MacKaye (baritone guitar, vocals) (of Fugazi, formerly of Minor Threat) and Amy Farina (drums, vocals) (formerly of The Warmers). After Ian Mac ...

. It was released on November 20, 2012.

Reception

''The Odds'' has a

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score of 83 based on 14 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim". Musician and critic John Robb, reviewing the album for the website

Louder Than War ''Louder Than War'' is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication that was started by journalist John Robb in 2010 and is now ru ...

, compared Farina's "soaring, cutting free voice" to that of

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

, calling the record a "welcome missive from the heartland of idealistic musical culture that stands on its own terms with its musical content ..a great record that is musically and emotionally powerful and stands out on its own as one of the key releases in this fractured and strange year." ''Pitchfork'''s

Douglas Wolk Douglas Wolk (born 1970) is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including ''The New York Times'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Washington Post'', ''The Nation'', ''The New Republi ...

praised the album, calling it a "powerful example of aging gracefully ..''The Odds'' is, in every way, the product of scaling down operations rather than of giving up or throwing the fans a nostalgia trip." However, the review does reserve some criticism for the track "Competing with the Till", on which Wolk describes the duo as sounding like "cranky old folks". The track is also criticized by Jordan Cronk of ''

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'' in an otherwise positive review, who describes the song as a "blunt and fairly awkward missive. Like a nervier rendition of Fugazi's “ Returning the Screw,” the track moves between a sparse narrative outlining the injustices perpetrated on the group by ignorant club owners and a twisting chorus that turns the title phrase into an easy potshot." Fred Thomas of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

notes that on the album, "The Evens' politics aren't anywhere close to as charged as their Bush-era material, and even the effects of parenthood on their lives are mysterious, save the photo of their silhouetted son that graces the album cover. But much like the skeletal nature of their songs, a lot is conveyed in the empty spaces. Moving through adulthood still committed to the punk struggle, The Odds shows the Evens as more refined and understated than ever." Another positive review came from Liz Pelly of ''The Boston Phoenix'', who wrote that their "third record proves that even the most militant punk songs are often best served by a stripped-down aesthetic. MacKaye has always worked with that sort of ethos, but the Evens are radically minimal — lone baritone guitar and punchy drums bring clarity to fiery post-

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...

minimums and maximums." She praised the song "Wanted Criminals" - "a song framing the fucked-up realities of the prison industrial complex in the context of the recession" - as "a haunting, complex look at economic injustice." The album was listed 45th on '' Stereogum'''s list of their top 50 albums of 2012.

Track listing

# "King of Kings" - 2:28 # "Wanted Criminals" - 3:15 # "I Do Myself" - 2:52 # "Warble Factor" - 2:26 # "Sooner or Later" - 4:42 # "Wonder Why" - 4:11 # "Competing with the Till" - 2:36 # "Broken Finger" - 3:24 # "Architects Sleep" - 2:43 # "Timothy Wright" - 4:01 # "This Other Thing" - 3:00 # "Let's Get Well" - 2:42 # "KOK" (Reprise of "King of Kings") - 2:13

Personnel

Ian MacKaye Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label and the frontman of hardcore punk ...

–

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

Amy Farina Amy Farina is a musician living in Washington, D.C. As of 2001, Farina has played drums and sings in the Indie rock duo The Evens, which includes her husband, Ian MacKaye. Career Farina has played in The Warmers (which included Ian's younger br ...

– drums, vocals

References

2012 albums The Evens albums Dischord Records albums {{2010s-indie-rock-album-stub