Relics
Self-Released, 2023
9/10
A veteran guitarist who famously played guitar on Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks, Kevin Odegard has also worked in the industry to protect songwriters of their rights and earnings, and he’s even an author, too.
Here he brings us several originals and a couples covers of his timeless folk-rock, where an all star cast accompanies him. The warm opener, “When A Heart Is Broken”, pairs Odegard’s soft voice with elegant, poetic songwriting that welcomes Michelle Kinney’s stirring cello, and “Lost At Sea” follows with Gary Lopac’s strategic bass and Jeff Dayton’s fluid guitar in attendance for the rhythmic, retro-folk ideas.
Halfway through, Kinney’s cello returns for the intimate and dreamy “Daily Affirmation”, while “Lights Of Taormina”, a Mark Knopfler original, recruits Jim Steinworth’s hazy accordion and Peter Ostroushko’s alluring mandolin for the harmonic and cultured album highlight.
Near to the end, “It Hurts To Laugeh” is full of gorgeous guitar playing alongside Odegard’s vivid and heartfelt storytelling, and “That Old Guitar” exits with a sublime instrumental that allows his agile and absorbing guitar playing to shine.
Now in his 70s, Odegard has a lifetime of stories to tell, and his wise, sophisticated and relatable delivery makes for 10 really well thought out tracks from a Minnesota legend who deserves to be spoken in the same sentence as Gary Louris and Paul Westerberg.
Travels well with: Courtney Yasmineh- Red Roses And Cowgirl Dreams; Life On Mars- At Stars End