The Dandy Warhols - Odditorium or Warlords of Mars

Oh those clever Dandy Warhols! Imagine intro-ing their new album, Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars, with noted journalist Bill Curtis doing a little news blurb about how the Dandys influenced and changed rock’n’roll, as if it was they who came first…not Chuck Berry or Elvis. Cheeky monkeys. So let's see what we've got on this, the Portland-based band’s fourth major label release.... “Love Is The New Feel Awful” is shot through with an icy rush of sound and the band’s signature sense of cool, even including a sort of jazz fusion jam toward the end. “All The Money Or The Simple Life Honey” starts out pure, if not a little distractingly treble-heavy, but some sound depth enters around the 1-minute mark pulling it out. Then there’s “The New Country,” which goes back to some of their more rock-a-billy sound from Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia. By contrast, “Holding Me Up” sounds more like “Minnesota” from their label debut, Dandy Warhols Come Down. As for the first single, “Smoke It,” I know why it was picked to be the single. It’s bouncy and energetic, but it’s just not on a level lyrically with other Warhols singles like “Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth” or “Bohemian Like You.” It’s a decent song, but it’s not one that I think the whole album should be judged on, so you might want to look around a little if you're tempted to buy or not buy based on your feelings toward this track. Basically, with Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars, the Dandy Warhols continue their tradition of artsy, rocker, slacker tunes that sometimes make you think, sometimes make you jump around a little, sometimes make you cock your head to the side and sometimes just make you sit back and chill. It's all good I guess. [www.dandywarhols.com]