Tasty, the debut single from Auckland-based rock band Odds & Ends is exactly that. Bursting out of the starting line with a confident, tight, phat, and funky groove, it takes literally seconds before I feel my body moving along with it. Odds & Ends are a young band with a confidence and swagger that belies their collective ages.
This is funky, not in a Red Hot Chilli Peppers way, more like in a jazzy funky groove of One Million Dollars. This is experimental, but in a fascinating and not-alienating way. Not willing to follow a traditional verse-chorus-verse structure, or at least not willing to do so in a way that simply repeats the chords of the first verse, Tasty goes to some musically interesting and diverse places. In fact, they achieve more in the paltry 2 minutes 45 seconds of Tasty that many prog-rock bands do with twice that run-time. Through the straight-ahead pop-rock verse, the James Brownesque verse, the blue-eyed rap verse, the strange pseudo-Spanish/Western movie soundtrack verse, this all somehow still comes together. And it comes together in a coherent, effortlessly manner.
Where this song really shines though, is in its chorus. This is a massive, hook-laden chorus that holds everything else together, and will have you singing along immediately. The chorus lyrics may not invoke images like Bob Dylan’s poetry, or shine a light on political issues like early-U2, but they aren’t meant to. This is a song designed to feel good and they fit the mood of the song perfectly.
Odds & Ends are releasing this track with a big release party. Check them out, if this single is anything to go by it's going to be a hell of a good time.
With four principal songwriters and influences drawn from alt-rock, indie-pop, jazz, and funk, Odds & Ends are truly unique. The four musicians’ fusion of genres makes for a cohesiveness moving through the many sides this four-piece possesses. With countless local shows under their belt, these four musicians are ready to take on whatever challenge is tossed at their feet.
"If there is one thing I have noticed in the past time with the guys it’s that Odds and Ends put on shows that are anything but cliche. With numerous influences, we tie genres together from indie all the way to funk." ~ Max Earnshaw
Based in the depths of Auckland, New Zealand, Odds & Ends pride themselves in the fusion of multiple melodies and harmonies at the high-energy level of their live performance. All this is achieved while the four friends stay completely human, down to earth, and are the friendliest band you will meet in today’s scene.