SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG : #322: STANLEY ODD

Stanley Odd.  A Scottish hip-hop band. 

Formed in 2009, the members consist of Solareye, Veronika Electronika, AdMack, Scruff Lee, T Lo and Samson.  Their initial material was issued by Circular Records, a label based just outside of Edinburgh, known for the incredibly eclectic roster of artists across every genre imaginable.

In 2012, they went down the route of self-releasing their second album, Reject, which got some tremendously positive reviews in the local press, printed and digital.  I actually won a copy of the album in a raffle at a fund-raising night, and based on what I had been reading, was quite excited when my lucky number was called.

Sadly, I have to say that I found it to be more of a mixed bag than an essential listen, as I couldn’t fully take to the sound of a rap in my own accent without my toes curling up as the cringe factor took a grip.  I do accept, however, that Stanley Odd have quite a lot of fans in Scotland, attracted by the music, the vibes and the socio-political messages within the lyrics, many of which have come down very firmly in the pro-independence camp, not least the track Son I Voted Yes, released in the days immediately prior to the 2014 Independence Referendum vote.  There was also this from 2016, in the wake of the EU Referendum vote:-

My affection for It’s All Gone To Fuck is that it feels more like a pop/rock song with added rap than anything that’s pure hip-hop.

Things actually went quiet for Stanley Odd after that, but there was a planned return in 2020 with the idea of singles/EPs every couple of months…..only for things to be scuppered by COVID.   The comeback, however, has merely been delayed as Stanley Odd got themselves back on the road with some shows in April and a number of appearances at the smaller and independently run summer festivals across Scotland….and I expect more live shows to be announced for the autumn and winter months.

mp3: Stanley Odd – Killergram

One of the singles that was lifted from Reject.

JC