We (the fahrenheits) first got our hands on this album in July of 2007 at a house show a little ways outside of Bloomington, IN. It was a show that rational people probably wouldn't have gone to. It was inevitably a late show, a three hour drive, and Mary was due to work in the morning (no matter, we made it back home by 5am). But I think we sensed the urgency of the situation...we'd heard whispers that singer/guitarist Josh Bilodeau had begun to lose his desire to write and perform the potent and personal music that Otis and the Rufies was known for. We weren't going to miss seeing what we imagined could well be the last time Otis and the Rufies and La Cacahouette would play a show together. The fact that we managed to escape Bloomington with one of the very few burned copies of Addie's Diver was a very welcome bonus to the evening.
As it turned out, our fears were not without merit, and Otis and the Rufies went into a state of extended hiatus...a hiatus that we feared would be unending. Over time there were occasional signs of life for Otis and the Rufies. Sometime around early 2008, Addie's Diver was released online via the band's myspace and Virb pages...a move that seemed to bring closure to the band's relatively brief history.
Somehow, despite some surely lingering issues, Otis and the Rufies and Bilodeau, in particular, have decided that it is time to give Addie's Diver its due...and that is why I'm writing this review.
Addie's Diver
Addie's Diver brings better production and a broader range to the classic Otis and the Rufies sound. Crescendos that build over several minutes erupt into menacing distortion guitar, screams, and electronic noise. It is a sound that combines 90's alternative rock with down-tempo minimalism and what is perhaps the band's most potent weapon: intense vocals that range from brooding to scathing. It doesn't take the listener long to appreciate this, as the record opens with Bilodeau screaming, "I am a little faggot and I live my life in Pain." Perhaps it also isn't difficult to imagine why he may have felt the need to step back from this type of music for awhile. However, the intensity and angst of the opening tracks "Planetary Sailor" and "Addie's Diver" is tempered with the clean atmospheric sounds on tracks such as "Here Tonight" and the build up portions of "Dream 2" and "Dream 3".
Addie's Diver has a potential to be many different things to different people. In my opinion the album really feels like a singular piece of work careens fluently between musical mania and depression, with songs often bridged by torrents of noise. There are, of course, a few songs that stand quite capably on their own. "Here Tonight" and "Attack 3", in particular, grabbed me very early on. Some of the more layered tracks like "All I Need is You" and "All My Love" took me quite a few more listens to really appreciate. While they are now probably my favorite on the album. The emotional and often cryptic lyrics provide a base and a focus for Addie's Diver, while still leaving the songs open to interpretation...or not. The multi-faceted (one could almost call it dualistic) dynamic nature of Addie's Diver keeps the listeners interest throughout the duration of the album and for many repeat listens. And I would have to say that the surprisingly listenable album is quite an achievement considering that the band's real strength has been (on certain occasions) to deliver unforgettable energetic and emotional live performances.
Great music can be said to be greater than the sum of its parts, and I feel that Addie's Diver is an example of this. In a sense great music can be said to be greater than the people who create it, the lyrics, the structure, the reviews...the music floats, beyond all reason and thought, to a place where the numbness of the physical world gives way to stark clarity of consciousness.
Availability
Addie's Diver is currently available on CDR without packaging. The band is currently giving out copies for free. The full album can also be streamed via the band's Virb page: www.virb.com/otisandtherufies.
