Odyshape

The Raincoats were never the type of band to settle on a sound; even within the context of a single album you were likely to hear a wide range of experimentation, from reckless clatter to harmony to playfulness. It makes sense, then, that Odyshape, their second studio outing, was a difficult and intense affair, filled with intricate nooks and textures that broadened the idea of what post-punk could sound like, pushing the boundaries of what a song could be. The group also pursued subject matter that put the female voice at the forefront — not subservient to the inherent masculine attitudes of rock.

The production on Odyshape is skeletal; gone is the driving beat provided by Palmolive (she left after recording the debut). Replacing her is Ingrid Weiss, who opted for rough patches of rhythm and a stark, open sound — uninviting in most cases, but interesting and effective. The album also featured This Heat's Charles Hayward and prog-rock legend Robert Wyatt ("And Then It's OK"), both of whom provided their own sense of percussive style to the album, working easily with Weiss's ideas.

Odyshape's disjointed feel — the shifting rhythms, the screeching violin and the dissonance — gave Ana… read more »