Raincoats - Odyshape (1981)

It was the late Kurt Cobain (with some help from labelmates Sonic Youth) who initiated Geffen's reissue of the Raincoats' catalog. And listening to "Odyshape", it's easy to see why Cobain loved them so. There's an emotional directness about these songs that hooks you from the start. Mostly you hear about emotions and situations, sometimes indirectly, almost as if you are eavesdropping on a conversation. Then it hits you: it's almost like you're talking to old friends. That's the way the Raincoats' music works: it's deceptively simple, but extremely complicated. Also, as on this record, it makes demands of the listener. But songs like "Red Shoes" and "Dancing in My Head" say this far more eloquently. 

"Despite living in an era when almost all music is available on tap, the Raincoats' 1981 post-punk classic still feels like a self-contained secret. It's telling that Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon was brought in to provide sleeve notes but doesn't say a single word about the record, and no demos, outtakes, or other ephemera are included." - pitchfork.com


Tracklist:

1. "Shouting Out Loud" (The Raincoats, Ingrid Weiss) - 4:54
2. "Family Treet" (The Raincoats, Caroline Scott) - 4:12
3. "Only Loved at Night" - 3:32
4. "Dancing in My Head" - 5:26
5. "Odyshape" (The Raincoats, Ingrid Weiss) - 3:37
6. "And Then It's O.K." (The Raincoats, lyrics: Caroline Scott) - 3:05
7. "Baby Song" - 4:54
8. "Red Shoes" - 2:51
9. "Go Away" - 2:23

    
Raincoats - Odyshape (1981)
(256 kbps, cover art included)