For about the first minute of Oneida Road, it's easy to gain the impression that the Kamikaze Hearts are just another alt country-folk unit with a tasteful blend of acoustic instruments and percussion. After the first minute of "Top of Your Head," though, things turn eclectic, electric, and quirky (in the best sense of the word). The Kamikaze Hearts are Bob Buckley, Nathan Giordano, Matthew Loiacono, Troy Pohl, and Gaven Richard, though the liner notes do a poor job of identifying the roles each person plays within the span of the disc. The fresh arrangements create an immediately striking listening space on Oneida Road. The minor-key "Defender," for instance, has a prominent mandolin, heavy percussion, and the lead vocal has been run through some sort of processor, creating something akin to an acoustic Led Zeppelin fronted by Ian Anderson. The odd lyrics of "Half of Me" and "Wolfert's Roost," which aptly match the band's musical palette, are delivered with an emotional intensity. It would've been nice to have a lyric sheet to sort all of the words out, but perhaps that would rob the music of some of its mystery. Oneida Road is fairly short at 35 minutes, but what of it? Thirty-five minutes of intriguing, tuneful music is better than a long disc with lots of filler, and if the listener wants more, he or she can simply play the album again.
© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo