In the world of outsider music, few figures loom larger than Ian MacKaye. Having defined the American hardcore punk rock scene with the legendary Minor Threat (and giving birth to the Straight Edge sub-culture), the musician then formed the seminal Fugazi in 1987 and up until their “indefinite hiatus” in 2003 he was pretty much the poster boy for DIY culture.
He even co-created what was considered “real” emo in the late ‘80s with his band Embrace (two decades before the term was perverted in the press by lazy journalists to describe manscara-ed screamy pretty boys) and offered a guiding hand to the riot grrrl scene too. In short, no-one would blame MacKaye if he packed it in tomorrow to live in a cabin in the woods: his legacy is assured.
But that was never the way of a man who – with the help of former member of the Warmers Amy Farina – has reinvented himself as The Evens. The Odds is their third LP, with the real-life couple trading vocals, which are underscored by Ian’s baritone guitar and Amy’s drums. A relatively restrained and melodic release (by their standards anyway), the lyrics deal with what it’s like to be a middle-aged punk. Farina’s vocals are especially good here, calling to mind early Polly Harvey mixed with the spikyness of Sleater Kinney (‘Warble Factor’). The likes of the almost poppy, hook-laden ‘King Of Kings’ and the (slightly) jazzy ‘Competing With The Till’ are definite stand-outs.
While there’s no doubt that some will miss the righteous fury of old, fans of lo-fi folk rock will adore the latest installment in what has been a fascinating
career to date.