Another female singer-songwriter.
There is a definite sneer in the vocals of Rosie and its this biting edge that will invariably see her lumped in with the likes of Lilly Allen or Kate Nash. This group can be seen as a bit brattish but at least they have infinite spirit and verve in comparison to the previous group of wet blanket singer-songwriters that broke through. Lets not confuse that with quality though as Lily Allen's T in the Park performance left this reviewer believing that her music and performance was a pile of shit, at least Nash and Oddie still have the jury out on them. And with that, it's probably about time 'Genni's Song' by Rosie Oddie was examined in a bit more detail.
The acoustic strum and spoken word intro may seem like familiar territory for a solo female artist but by the time the singing verse arrives, a definite change has occurred. There's a nasty undercurrent to the song, it bubbles menacingly and when the guitar flick is joined by some string instruments, it all goes a bit Led Zeppelin. This really wasn't expected and hints at decent things to come from this artist. There's no originality in having a likeness to the riff of 'Kashmir' but a good few of Oddie's peers would have difficulty in spelling Jimmy Page, let alone participate in a song that brings his influence to memory. The backing vocals near the end also bring to mind the chaotic end of The Beatles 'I Am The Walrus', such is the build and tempo. Whether these flourishes are due to Rosie or other guiding hands is unclear but on the first few listens, they work and differentiate Oddie from some of her rivals.
The lyrics aren't great but maybe its just because they seem to be pretty truthful from a young very person and use of words like "you're so very wack" manage to nail down the image and age of the singer very quickly and if you're beyond that age-level, it may just seem a bit off. The spoken word bit doesn't really work, the singing does and the lyrics will come down to a matter of personal taste.
It is slightly funny that Rosie Oddie mentions her mum in the song when there's every likelihood that you'll be aware of her father. Its probably unfair to saddle the girl with constant references to her dad but lets just say that of all the celebrity fathers you could have, he is definitely a goodie.
As is this song, its not going to change your world, it may get a bit annoying in a few weeks but for the moment, keep a watch out for it.