One Hundred Days
The Obvious
Reviewed by Scott W. Christopher
It's unfair, but the first impression is that the duo One Hundred Days (formerly The Obvious, sort of formerly the Awakening) sounds quite a lot like Crowded House: They combine bright, Beatle-wise melodies with dark, turgid undercurrents; and the double lead vocals of Andrew Horrocks and Ian Tanner are a sweet blend, reminiscent of the brothers Finn on the Crowded House album Woodface. However, as you dig deeper into their album The Obvious (formerly titled One Hundred Days ... ah, forget it), you see this is no Crowded House tribute band. As the layers of dark pop unravel, you hear musical references to Rush and Elim Hall and assorted classic art-rock giants. Lyrically, they often preoccupy themselves with relationships, from their take on the parable of the Prodigal Son ("Thrill Town") to the bittersweet "Friends From A Distance" to the ironic "She's The Only Girl" to the sweet muse of "I'm Having A Baby." Although it might be smart for these guys to actually record a couple of 'House covers, just to get the comparisons out of the way, The Obvious shows One Hundred Days to have an original voice, and a great handle on mixing catchy pop music with thoughtful and clever words.