American post-punk duo Phil Poupart and Iain Stenhouse, known as Odin Stone, were introduced by a mutual friend who recognized their common musical interests. Despite their physical distance (Phil lives in Texas; Iain lives in Maine), they write and produce tunes reflecting their shared backgrounds in the punk, goth, and post-punk genres.
And what a record the Odin Stone V EP is. Starting off strong with the anthemic, sinister, politically-charged “Bully Boys”, complete with terrifying air raid sirens in the hook and marching feet in the outro, Odin Stone channel Soft Boys, Sham 69, The Gun Club, and Killing Joke, chanting the chorus as a warning to the populace. If you’ve been hoping for a catchy antifascist theme, look no further.
This is followed by “Keep It To Yourself, which veers more into grunge territory. The band aggressively channels the message of songs like Fad Gadget’s “Salt Lake City Sunday” in a bitter fight against evangelism in politics and collective trauma, snarling “your God’s not mine.” Likewise with the following “Not Guilty”, the band emotes a sludgier Lords of the New Church vibe. “Still Waiting” continues this theme, wondering if a ship will ever come in. While all the aforementioned bands hit their stride earlier in life (and in some cases exited suddenly), the songs of Odin Stone V – while sonically similar – flash forward forty years, now armed with the wisdom, maturity, and weariness of a longer existence. The more things change, the more things stay the same. We’re all still waiting for ‘that tap on our shoulder.’
Listen below:
As Odin Stone, Poupart (originally from New Orleans) and Stenhouse (originally from Glasgow, Scotland) mix musical mastery with sharp lyrical content and rich vocals. Their lifelong love of alternative music influences their genuine, and engaging sound. They also collaborate closely on the overall look and feel of Odin Stone’s visual identity, both having backgrounds in graphic design.
“If we sound straight out of the 80s scene, it’s largely because some riffs and lyrics have literally been bouncing around in their heads for decades!” says the band.
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