The music? Well, Oddibe's self-titled debut is consists of twelve deceptively simple tracks that are somewhat reminiscent what America would have sounded like if they had come from the Midwest instead of California and been influenced by Fredy Johnston instead of Neil Young. The p.o.v. on a lot of the tracks ("Peace and Quiet," "Time Will Tell") seems to be that of the guy in his late teens who really cares about the relationship he's in, the type of guy that the girls all say they want when somebody's shoving an anonymous microphone in their faces, and the type of guy they'll all dump the minute a football player looks at them and winks. We're talking sensitive and caring here, the way some guys are until they learn the "don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya" mentality that will have the women hanging off of them in droves. Still the music---spare, guitar/piano/drum arrangements, kind of what the Violent Femmes would sound like with music lessons and songs ---isn't bad at all. Oddibe isn't afraid to experiment with harmonics and even if their reach occasionally exceeds their grasp you still want to---and should -- applaud them the way you would cheer the guy who tries to sink the 30 footer at he buzzer but misses. And you've got to check out the lyrics. "Dog Eyes" seems to be about a sensitive girl who likes to look into...dog eyes. I lusted after a girl like this in college, a girl named ________ who dated a friend of mine. I haven't thought about her for 28 years, until I heard "Dog Eyes." And now I'm wondering where she is, and how she's doing. Isn't that angst, that response, that connection, what we really listen to music for?

ODDIBE isn't going to rock your world, at least physically. But I'm willing to bet that somehow, someway, it's going to find itself onto some college campuses. And if you're playing it in your room on a Saturday afternoon with the window open and the sun out and a soft breeze blowing I'm willing to bet that you'll have some company before too long. Crank it up.