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Reviews
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Aiding & Abetting record review
(June 2008)
Smother & Shrink
These guys have the power trio feel down--everything is very important. But Osgoods vary their sound with almost insane frequency. There's some light-hearted pop, a bit of the Bowie/Eno axis and some classic rockin' power trio fare. And then plenty of other stuff as well. Osgoods don't stay in one place often, but wherever they rest their feet they do the job well.
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AmplifierMagazine.com record review
(December 2006)
Smother & Shrink
Within the confines of your traditional power trio, Osgoods (viz. Anthony Nigro on vocals/guitars, Dan Hull on drums/percussion and David Jurs on bass) contrive to cover much sonic ground on this sophomore release. Lets strip it all down, shall we? Osgoods deal in guitar rock and in songs like the robust Steady, the dark, psychedelic Everything Fades and the 70s rocking Where I Bleed. They stretch their collective abilities to deliver consistently solid pop-rock material. To their credit, Osgoods are also able to venture into more diverse material, if ever so slightly; as You Made It Easy contains a easy folk vibe, You're Killing Me highlights a soft jazz-rock feel that would make Paul Weller proud and My New Excuse is a mid-tempo reflection that slinks along to a pleasing conclusion. Smother and Shrink is competent pop-rock that twists and turns at about the right time with enough catchy tunes to appeal to the pop underground set and enough edginess to sell itself to the indie rock crowd.
~ Kevin Mathews
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Outersound.com record review:
Automatic Do-over
The Osgoods hybridize a hothouse of influences, with delightful results. Predominant is a bouncy Britpop strut (originated by the Small Faces, popularized by T Rex, Bowie and Queen, and heard more and more of late) that the trio employs to great effect in Boulders (Ain't So Heavy), Even When We Sleep and to a greater or lesser degree in a majority of the nine songs on Automatic Do-over.
But for all their androgynous swagger and polished harmonies, the Osgoods are more than your average neo-glam act. Eggshells has a calypso-meets-Dick Dale, island-surf sound; Short, Fat & Ugly recalls Aztec Camera with its Latin lilt and scatty vocal break; Walk It Off edges toward southern-rock; and the lighter-waving closer Thinking Out Loud comes off as a sort of swishy Guns 'N' Roses - although Axl would hardly tolerate that jazzy little interlude.
Infectious melodies, snazzy musicianship and Anthony Nigro's charismatic crooning make Automatic Do-over a perfect pick for fans of sophisticated power-pop.
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TheLAMusicScene.com live review:
Osgoods @ The Joint
The lofty, cramped soapbox-ish stage at The Joint is an interesting challenge for bands who play there; it's a wonder bands can comfortably fork out great music. Saturday night the Osgoods effortlessly shined into the wee hours, greatly improving the night's otherwise lackluster lineup (pays to stick around for one more Guinness folks). The trio packed the club with full sounds produced by a mere guitar, bass, and drum set, thanks to lead singer Anthony Nigro, a reserved, unassuming singer/songwriter/guitarist who took the stage and dominated with an intensely powerful, rich, growling voice - astounding vocal likeness to Stephen Page (Barenaked Ladies) and John Popper (Blues Traveler), minus the superfluous harmonica. He's backed by just the right level of harmonic nuances from the bassist and drummer - a great plus. The Osgood's strength, no doubt, are their vocals, subtle harmonies, infectious melodies, and Nigro's revealing, intricate lyrics. I like to think of it as "smart music." It'd be interesting to strip down (the music, that is) and unplug, to hear the band slow down acoustic style; Nigro has *the* voice to impressively pull it off.
Bonus points for anyone who can guess the origin of the band's name. Clever. Definitely worth checking out this L.A. band.
by: C. S.
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Aiding & Abetting record review
(Issue #180)
Assistant Manager EP
Punchy pop songs with an edge. Lots of keen guitars and highly-stylized vocals. Vocals which do not always follow the melodic lead of the instruments. Which shows a certain sophistication, to be sure. The chords always number more than three (sometimes within seconds), and there is a more cultured feel to these songs than with most pop. Osgoods has a lot on the ball. For a self-recorded disc, this sounds very good. A completely professional job all the way around. The songs burst forth from the speakers, everything in line. Like I said, these folks know what they're doing. Everything works. Osgoods has completely defined its own sound and style, and it made sure that come across on this disc. Solid songwriting and playing make this the complete package.
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