Maintaining tedious obsessions with Warhol, evolution, and a lot of Kraftwerk, New Wave and glam, bands coined electroclash like Fischerspooner are all the rage for rock’s unusual hybrid. Consisting of Casey Spooner and Warren Fischer, the New York art pop duo initially gained popularity through their elaborate stage performances, a topic Gerald Marzorati wrote about in a discussion on Susan Sontag’s theories on camp during his review for the band’s debut, #1. In it, he makes the assertion that the duo’s shows were Spooner’s attempt to be Freddie Mercury and gain a victory for homosexuals across the globe.. Luckily for the band, their motives are elsewhere, and Spooner gave up the Mercury charisma for his robotic drone, closer resembling Rocky Horror. There’s no horror in that; and Odyssey is proof, taking the band away from the meticulous electroclash comparisons, creating more rock with help from many great collaborators.
First single “Just Let Go” is the closest thing to #1 on the album, but better assembled. The late Susan Sontag co-writes “We Need A War,” as does David Byrne on “Get Confused,” which features fellow NYer Mira Billotte (of indie’s White Magic) on vocals. Among the juiciest tracks are “Never Win,” co-produced by Mirwais Ahmadzai (Madonna’s Music). Linda Perry lends her vocals to “Happy” and pen to “A Kick in the Teeth,” with the latter bearing resemblance to the Postal Service in style and lyric (You may not realize/When it’s done or why/But it may be the best thing).A cover of Boredom’s “O” closes the album with what sounds like Nintendo systems shutting down, resembling something off of Beck’s Hell Yes EP. In leaving behind their electroclash ways for the Odyssey, Fischerspooner have transcended.
"Just Let Go" (Skinny White Duke Remix):
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