On Odd Numb3rs And Slanted Rhymes, Gary Calamar pairs sharp wit with guitar-pop hooks, joined by Robyn Hitchcock, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Azure Ray's Maria Taylor.
Gary Calamar brings a record collector’s curiosity and a songwriter’s sideways sense of humor to Odd Numb3rs And Slanted Rhymes, his debut full-length album. Gathering songs from across twelve years alongside three new recordings, the collection pairs guitar-pop hooks with stories about eccentric characters, everyday disappointments, and the strange business of being human.
Calamar has spent decades connecting people with music. His résumé includes record store work, radio, and music supervision for television series including Six Feet Under and True Blood. Here, the selections are his own compositions, bringing together material dating back to his 2014 EP, You Are What You Listen To. Producer John Would helps connect the album’s garage rock, reflective songwriting, and playful pop.
Several distinctive voices join the conversation. Robyn Hitchcock adds harmonies to “Who Are We Gonna Be Today?,” while DEVO’s Mark Mothersbaugh lends his presence to the twitchy electronic pop of “I Got An Idea.” Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor appears on “Little Tokyo,” adding another shade to Calamar’s portrait of Los Angeles. The guests suit a writer whose musical interests leave plenty of room for both sweet melodies and peculiar ideas.
That combination carries into the character sketches. “She’s So Mid-Century” celebrates a woman with very particular tastes, while “Looking For A Job” finds humor in the uncomfortable rituals of seeking employment. Elsewhere, “Forgive Yourself,” “Rough Patch,” and the new “A Place To Hang” make room for vulnerability, offering compassion for people struggling to get through the day.
Calamar also turns his attention outward. “Distractions” takes aim at the competing demands of contemporary life, and “The Last Revolution” channels his affection for records into musical wordplay. By the time the garage rock closer “Back Door Man” arrives, Odd Numb3rs And Slanted Rhymes has introduced a songwriter comfortable delivering a punch line, admitting a weakness, or finding a song in something most people would walk past.