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Odorama

 
Album Review: Odorama

  • Artist: Strawberry Smell
  • Rating: StarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: August 14, 2001
  • Total Time: 50:49
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Although both the band name and album title are pretty horrible, Strawberry Smell's debut album, Odorama, is a solid piece of psych pop that respects the traditions of the genre without being constrained by them. Although the requisite fuzzy/jangly guitars and Byrds-influenced harmonies are here in spades, the songs on Odorama are built on lead singer Cyril Jean's Farfisa organ and vintage Moog synthesizers. That blast of icy retro-futurism links Strawberry Smell both to '60s experimentalists like the United States of America or the Silver Apples and to later guardians of the analog synth sound like the band's fellow Frenchmen Tahiti 80 or Air. Unlike all of those bands, however, Jean and the other Smellers (guitarist and bassist Christophe and Olivier Valliant and drummer Cyrille Mazella) are primarily interested in pop hooks, not cool sounds. Like no psych pop revival album since Cotton Mather's 1998 gem Kon-Tiki, Odorama has melodies and (English language) lyrics that measure up to the clever arrangements and production. The perfect touches like the horns at the end of "Friends of Da Teenage" and the funky organ rave-up in the middle of the heavy-psych "Balthazar" would be much less impressive if the songs themselves weren't so instantly engaging. Unfortunately, some of these songs overstay their welcome by a minute or so each. Odorama is a great album, but with some judicious pruning it could have been a classic. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Zensong #9 Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (3:51)
Friends of da Teenage Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (4:41)
World of D. Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (2:41)
Ire Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (2:55)
Balthazar Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (3:55)
Lovag's House of Light Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (3:57)
Slave of the Time Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (4:08)
Undersphere Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (3:22)
Valentine's Butterflies Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (4:10)
Soopasound Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (3:42)
Cosmos and Infinity Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (5:43)
Simple Quiet Day Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (3:00)
Footprint on the Moon Strawberry Smell, Cyril Jean, Christophe Vaillant, Olivier Vaillant Strawberry Smell (4:44)

Credits

Rick Essig (Mastering), Cyril Jean (Organ (Hammond)), Christophe Vaillant (Vocals (Background)), Cyrille Mazzella (Drums), Cyril Jean (Fender Rhodes), Cyrille Mazzella (Tambourine), Olivier Vaillant (Vocals (Background)), Cyril Jean (Synthesizer), Olivier Vaillant (Bass (Electric)), Christophe Vaillant (Sitar), Christophe Vaillant (Guitar), Cyril Jean (Vocals)
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Odorama [2 Bonus Tracks] (2001 Album by Strawberry Smell)
Strawberry Smell (Rock Band, 2000s)
Polyester (1981 Comedy Film)

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more

 

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