Music Review // Odd Marshall "Santa Barbara"

 

With the amount of rock music that exists in the world- presently and throughout history- it is important to see the way someone such as Odd Marshall chooses to use the elements they can combine with other sounds.   With these sweet acoustics that almost sound like a ukelele, "Santa Barbara" can feel like the melodic rhythm of a Beach Boys song but with perhaps a little bit more funk added to it.  At the same time, this song reminds me a bit of Marcy Playground.

I just feel as if there is this certain sound of melody which becomes so pure and so easy to listen to, but doesn't quite breach into pop music.  While this song could highlight that melody and become more of a bubblegum pop flavor of sound, that would also annoy me because it would become just too catchy and over the top.  The way it is right now is perfectly on that border of being pop without over staying its welcome.  

While the beginning of this song discusses some Saints in Santa Barbara who say they are from Norway, it circles back to that point by the end with the lines: "But the sweet Saints of Santa Barbara say you'll always have a place to stay in Norway".   This is one of those clever type of folk lyrics that we don't get enough of any more but could get a lot more prior to the 1980's.  It's not just about having a song that tells a story, but rather it's also about putting it all together in an artistic and poetic manner.   This truly is the art of the song.

The chorus on "Santa Barbara" is rather catchy, as they sing: "Tell me I'll be in your mind / You'll be in mine" which is a nice way to tell someone you'll be thinking about them.  This also just all comes together in a very family-friendly type of way which makes me think of music such as Buddy Holly, back when rock n roll wasn't dangerous and was made for those screaming teens in poodle skirts and at the malt shops.   Odd Marshall has just created a song that will get stuck in your head but you won't get mad about it.