Odes: Victor St

By: Stephen Wilkins

Originally published July 13, 2016 by Plasma Magazine 

Photo Credit: Stephen Wilkins

Live at American Sushi Records

Victor St. Baloo’s Ep “Odes” is a breath of fresh air in the Atlanta Music scene. While so many Atlanta artists have gone down the road of excessive experimentation in search of a ‘new’ sound Victor has dug in and explored his roots. “Odes” draws upon the psychedelic pop of the 60’s, songwriters of the 70’s like Harry Nilsson and Victor’s own post-modern awareness of rock n’ roll cliches. The five song EP has well crafted songs with witty lyrics and a catchy pop sensibility. Baloo isn’t reinventing the wheel but he is taking it in an interesting direction.

Recorded over a year at Sleeping Partner Studios with Nathaniel Kiser and various friends pitching in, “Odes” is a multi layered psychedelic pop experience. You can hear the development of the EP as the level of production increase with each song. On Special and Groovy, the first track, the vocals are a little low in the mix which gives it an amateurish lo-fi quality but by the end of Beatles Permission, the last track, you are ready for another listen. Victor leads you down a psychedelic rabbit hole into his neurotically creative mind that never ceases.  

Victor’s songwriting is what makes “Odes” such a nice gem within the Atlanta music scene and it is what stands out even if there are some production issues. Baloo has an ear for melodies and doesn’t skimp on the lyrical content. He wants you to know what he is singing about which is something that has been missing in the Atlanta indie scene for sometime. I can’t wait to hear a full length LP from Victor St. Baloo or maybe even that country record he’s been working on for close to a decade. Check out “Odes” at https://victorstbaloo.bandcamp.com/.