OT&DO AT THE PLACE

OT&DO at The Place is a live album, and as many artists and reviewers can attest, live performances sometimes don't live up to their studio counterparts. For whatever reason, this album is rife with timing and rhythm issues. It seems that the bass guitar, drums, and keys simply cannot get on the same page rhythmically. At first, I just thought it was the keyboardist being "out-of-the-pocket" with respect to the rhythm section, but then on other tracks I noticed the bass and drums out of step. Being a former drummer myself, these disconnects probably bother me more than the average listener. I did sample some of their studio singles and EPs, and the timing issues are not as apparent. So maybe the timing issues on this live recording are due to not being able to hear one another in their stage monitors, or maybe stage nerves, or lack of sleep. I don't know. All I can say is that the lack of synchronization between band members grated on my nerves so much that I could hardly finish listening to the full album. On a positive note, I liked the compositions (mostly), and imagined what they would sound like when everyone played in the pocket, and I think it would be good. I also think that many of the keyboard parts should have been elevated an octave to provide more contrast with the bass. It would have sounded more like the jazz/rock compositions that I'm used to. OT&DO appear to be a fairly young band, so with some polish on their timing and production, they could be an interesting band. For now, stick with their studio productions.