The Omaha Record

On The Omaha Record, Bottom of the Hudson take from folk-rock of the '60s and put an interesting mid-'90s sounding indie spin on it, much like many of the bands of the Elephant 6 Collective. Absolutely Kosher assembled Bottom of the Hudson's The Omaha Record from two demos, which may be the reason that the record sounds like it has two separate parts. But, they both seem to work together somehow, perhaps it's the result of interesting recording and mixing. The first half of the record builds upon the structure of simple hooks that draw you in. They incorporate many different instruments and layers to their advantage. "Eagle Eye" is a Beatles-sounding tune which has driving piano with accenting melodies on the picking guitars and deep vocals, a bit like Ladybug Transistor. With the song's acoustic picking and vocal stylings, the Kinks' and the Rolling Stones' influences show up on "The Chilling Sorcerer." The last half of The Omaha Record dives into more of a lo-fi /experimental/indie area, much like Sebadoh teaming up with the Velvet Underground. When Bottom of the Hudson punch in the thick guitars and create noisy melodies, the indie influences of Neutral Milk Hotel and Pavement shine through. "Red Election" is a late track that comes out of nowhere. A very unexpected tune that rocks as a space rock wonder, it still works in the context of the record. Bottom of the Hudson provide a lot in The Omaha Record to pick through, keeping your interest peaked all the way into the deep cuts at the end of the record.