Mando Diao - Ode To Ochrasy Review
by Dan MacIntosh
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An "Ochrasy," the CD notes tell us, is Mando Diao's made up word to describe the early hours after a rock show. The band had plenty of source material to create this new verbal expression because they toured for eighteen months prior to making the disc. "Amsterdam," for example, describes a nightmarish evening where the singer falls into a river and also talks to God on the phone. Too many nights on the road and excessive alcohol can do that to a guy, don't you know.
They recorded this project with Bjorn Olson, formerly of Soundtrack Of Our Lives - who is, like the band, Swedish -- and Ode To Ochracy is a real winner. Like Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Mando Diao has a keen sense of melody and this CD is filled with wonderfully memorable songs. But these songs also include a few great lyrical lines that stick like daggers, as well. "I'm wasting all my time/Writing songs to you without feeling," they admit during the deadly honest "You Don't Understand Me."
This CD's overriding sound is that of driving guitar rock, which is also spiced with subtle organ now and again. "Killer Kaczynski," however, begins with somber trumpet tones; these horn sounds also return later in the track. Both "Josephine" and "The New Boy" slow things down considerably, and "Good Morning, Herr Host" stands out for its spoken word section.
This disc closes with "Ochrasy," an acoustic rumination concerning the strange, cruel world we live in. In, it Mando Diao talks about the war on TV - a reality that contrasts starkly with the fantasy life they've been living on the rock & roll road. Such revelations make you want to skip back to the prior cuts, back when the group was merely singing about having good time. But whether amusing or serious, Mando Diao has given us a disc full of excellent rock.
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Mando Diao - Ode To Ochrasy
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