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Company of Thieves - Ordinary Riches

Rating

RIYL

Murder by Death
The Counting Crows
Rilo Kiley
The Fray

Release Date

05/29/2007

Label

Wind Up Records

Tracklist

1. Old Letters
2. In Passing
3. Oscar Wilde
4. Quiet on the Front
5. Pressure
6. Around the Block
7. Even in the Dark
8. Under the Umbrella
9. Past the Sleep
10. The Fire Song
11. The Tornado Song
12. New Letters

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Recent Ratings
Mike Duchnowsky

Since signing to Wind-Up Records earlier this year, Company of Thieves has been generating a buzz in the indie rock scene with their well developed songs and the impressive vocal abilities of Genevieve Schatz. The band self-released their debut album, Ordinary Riches, in 2007, but their newly found label support has helped the release gain national attention more recently.

After the first listen, Company of Thieves’ popularity was a mystery because the songs seemed average at best. However, after a few more plays, an appreciation for the tracks started to develop and it became apparent that Ordinary Riches really is an exceptional release. Genevieve Schatz’s singing is remarkable and almost serves as another instrument because of the wide range she displays. She uses various different vocal styles with excellent pacing, her falsetto parts being extremely beautiful. Moreover, the music is good, but not great, although using different instruments like the violin, piano, and harmonica keeps it interesting and compliments the music nicely.

Ordinary Riches is a well-crafted album, especially considering the band funded and released the 60-minute creation on their own. Although not every song is a masterpiece, the standout tracks outnumber the less memorable ones. “Oscar Wilde,” in particular, is a fantastic song with its rhythmic verse and catchy chorus; it’s easily the best song on the record. “Pressure” and “Past the Sleep” are two other notable tracks, mainly for their upbeat structures that provide a nice lift in the middle and end of the album.

Company of Thieves’ biggest flaw is the length of their songs. Many of them are in the five to six minute range, which is fairly long for this style of music, and it definitely holds back the album in some respects. When bands have very structured songs as seen on Ordinary Riches, they benefit from being shorter since the tracks are only made up of a few repeating parts. Some listeners may prefer lengthier songs but it could take away from the mainstream appeal of this band.

With Ordinary Riches, it’s easy to see why Wind-Up Records signed Company of Thieves. Although the band may not become superstars with the style of music they play, they will mostly likely enjoy a level success similar to a band like The Fray or The Counting Crows who continue to maintain cult followings throughout their careers. Hopefully Wind-Up Records will rerelease Ordinary Riches for the masses to enjoy, otherwise many people will be missing out on Company of Thieves’ brilliant debut.

--Nicholas Fritz