'Oddio' - Stanley Odd (review)

One of my favourite albums at the moment? Easy. Stanley Odd's 'Oddio'.

Now, as you may have noticed, Scottish Hip Hop usually doesn't sit too well with me - mainly because it's all fairly angry and aggressive which is not the sort of thing I listen to for pleasure even if I can appreciate the craftsmanship. Stanley Odd are a band made up of members of different nationalities but the MC who fronts the band is definitely a Scotsman.

Solareye is the man in question and his outlook on life is as cynical as the next Scottish person's but his wry twist and LOL-inducing lyrics are something else. I could finish off this review just by quoting some of his lines ("The next generation are counting on us/So let the pregnant women sit down on the bus", "I've not been in a good mood lately/Cos cats lack passion like the makings of a test tube baby", "She said 'Who in their right mind takes a horse tranquilizer?'/I wasn't in my right mind so I couldn't advise her"... I could go on but I won't).

Solareye is backed up by the lucious vocals of Veronika Electronika who provides both sung choruses and half-rapped, half-sung verses as well as just general beautiful noises (check 'Sun Dance' to really get what I mean).

The whole album gots that funk that only a live band could produce and tracks like 'Your Move' will more than certainly bring an insane grin to your face as you tune into the solidity of the musicianship of Rune Dawg, T Lo, AdMac and B Dot.

'Oddio' is out now on Circular Records and you must, must buy it. It's available on itunes now.