REVIEW: Evan Olson, One Room (Cherry Entertainment / Universal)
- Bob Gajarsky
Prior to a few months ago, the main selling point of Evan Olson outside of North Carolina was "former lead singer of Majosha, early group for Ben Folds". But with the national release of his second solo disc, One Room, Olson hopes to make his name stand out on his own.
The first single from One Room, "So Much Better", takes a Macarena-style rock-rap and fuses it with Bono-esque vocals. But much of One Room has a 70s AM radio feel, much like Folds' own influences. "A Million Things" tosses around a lightweight, airy sound, while "Falling" recalls mid 70s Chicago (the band) music, sans horns. The guitar-heavy "Deep In You" serves as a deviating harder edge break in the middle of the disc - not as sharp as a "25 Or 6 To 4", but still displaying Olson's skills.
While not for everyone, Evan Olson's One Room offers a new look into some old twists. And with any luck, maybe some of the BFF clique will look into his music as well.
