Ubiquitous Meh! – Oddville (12″ EP Review)

Label: DAMN
Cat No.: DAMN007
Format: White Vinyl (Limited)
Lacquer Cut by soundhog, Manufacturing: Plastidisc, Screenprinted sleeve by Sarah Court
Matrix / Etchings: Side 1 – DAMN007-A17, Side 2 – DAMN007-B17 PLASTIDISC WM

Plymouth’s lo-fi post-punk mavericks Ubiquitous Meh! release a limited edition 12″ Oddville to vinyl via Damn Records, and it’s every bit as scrappy, sly, and self-aware as the band’s name suggests.

Don’t come here expecting polish. In fact, the absence of it feels intentional – production values are minimal to non-existent, the timing’s loose in places, and the background hiss is practically a band member. But like the best lo-fi art, it works not in spite of the rough edges but because of them.

Having seen them support The Monochrome Set last year, it’s striking how faithfully Oddville captures their live energy. There’s no studio trickery here to smooth out the sharp corners; what you get is what you get, and that turns out to be a jangling, rickety, surprisingly compelling listen.

Pinning down the influences is tricky—in the best possible way. There’s a dash of The Fall’s sardonic repetition, Wire’s clipped urgency, and Swell Maps’ freeform chaos. Add in shades of early Gang of Four and the more lysergic ends of ’60s West Coast garage — maybe The Sonics on a weird bender — and you’re getting warm.

Easy to overlook if you’re judging on fidelity alone, but give it time and you’ll find there’s more going on than first meets the ear. Beneath the DIY exterior lie sharp, deadpan lyrics and an instinct for angular shifts that keep things from ever settling into routine. The chaos is carefully managed.

Highlights? Workin’ On My Lore is a knotty live favourite that still fizzes on record. Ball Of Dissonance leans into cartoonish gothic, sounding like the Addams Family band jamming in a squat. And the instrumental Just One More Thing clocks in at 1’35”, full of unexpected runs and rhythmic sleights that show a band more musically dexterous than they let on.

Oddville is a weird, wiry delight – unvarnished, uncompromising, and oddly addictive. Scratch beneath the surface, and there’s a lot more Meh! than first meets the eye.

Buy the vinyl at bandcamp
4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0