Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The Handsome Family's first album certainly stands apart from their later work; at this point, the group still had a live drummer, they were playing more rock-oriented material (the noisy guitars on "Here's Hopin'" and "One Way Up" would have sounded rather out of place on Through the Trees), and there's a bit more upfront humor than in their later work. The key phrase, however, is "a bit"; the creepy but amusing Freudianisms of "Pony," the drunkard's hymn of "Water Into Wine," and the morning-after lament of "She Awoke With a Jerk" are witty enough, but there's a dark undertow that wavers between cynicism and hopelessness which allows these songs to sit side by side with the album's takes of murder ("Arlene"), urban alienation ("Moving Furniture Around"), and corrupted faith ("Everything That Rises Must Converge"). Brett Sparks' plain but resonant Midwestern twang gives the songs on Odessa the ring of common truth, and he and Rennie Sparks had already established themselves as writers to be reckoned with, conjuring a lyrical voice that sounds homey and terribly alienated at the same time. Listening to Odessa today, it's obvious the Handsome Family had a way to travel before they would create their strongest work, but it's obvious they already had the talent and the ideas that would make them one of the most interesting and intelligent bands to emerge from Chicago's alt-country scene.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Rennie Sparks, Composer - Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Rennie Sparks, Composer - Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Rennie Sparks, Composer - Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Rennie Sparks, Composer - Brett Sparks, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Rennie Sparks, Composer - Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Rennie Sparks, Composer - Brett Sparks, Composer, Producer - DAVE TRUMFIO, Producer - The Handsome Family, MainArtist - Handsome Family Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Album review
The Handsome Family's first album certainly stands apart from their later work; at this point, the group still had a live drummer, they were playing more rock-oriented material (the noisy guitars on "Here's Hopin'" and "One Way Up" would have sounded rather out of place on Through the Trees), and there's a bit more upfront humor than in their later work. The key phrase, however, is "a bit"; the creepy but amusing Freudianisms of "Pony," the drunkard's hymn of "Water Into Wine," and the morning-after lament of "She Awoke With a Jerk" are witty enough, but there's a dark undertow that wavers between cynicism and hopelessness which allows these songs to sit side by side with the album's takes of murder ("Arlene"), urban alienation ("Moving Furniture Around"), and corrupted faith ("Everything That Rises Must Converge"). Brett Sparks' plain but resonant Midwestern twang gives the songs on Odessa the ring of common truth, and he and Rennie Sparks had already established themselves as writers to be reckoned with, conjuring a lyrical voice that sounds homey and terribly alienated at the same time. Listening to Odessa today, it's obvious the Handsome Family had a way to travel before they would create their strongest work, but it's obvious they already had the talent and the ideas that would make them one of the most interesting and intelligent bands to emerge from Chicago's alt-country scene.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:47:17
- Main artists: The Handsome Family
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Loose
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Country
(C) 2020 Loose Music under exclusive license from The Handsome Family (P) 1994 The Handsome Family
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.