Music comes easily and naturally, at least for Osgoods. The three-man band proves that all you need is some drums, a bass, and a guitar added to vocals and you're golden. Osgoods was formed by singer/guitarist Anthony Nigro during his time at the University of Arizona. The trio recorded the Assistant Manager EP in 1999. The band moved to California and David Jurs became the new bass player. In 2002, Osgoods' Automatic Do-Over was released. The nine-track album is a collection of "agitated pop". It's up-tempo beat provided by then-drummer Colin Wyatt (Daniel Hull is the band's new drummer) keeps the energy high.

The tracks in Automatic Do-Over are exactly the kind of upbeat music you want to get a party rolling. The sound on this album is a cross between The Barenaked Ladies and the Spin Doctors. The sound is so infectious you almost forget to listen to the lyrics. When you do listen to the lyrics, courtesy of Mr. Nigro, you find the are smart enough to send a message and abstract enough to make you question that message. It's exactly the feeling you get when you see school children and their teachers/nuns all staring at you. (That's the picture on the album jacket.) You know someone must be telling you something, but you can't put your finger on it. The world is too distracting and the music is too enticing to pay that close attention. It's rare for the chorus and refrain not to get tired after several spins, but the riffs and instrumental solos on Automatic Do-Over leave you wanting to hear more. "Sleepyhead" in particular has some great licks.

If you were to pick one song to be the Osgoods anthem , it would be "Not Afraid". The song embodies the band's go-forward-no-matter-the-hurdles attitude. As for the band members, they are great musicians individually. Whether the band stays together for 20 years or breaks up tomorrow or adds new members to the group, Osgoods makes excellent music. Maybe it's the name.

  ( 5 Stars out of 6 )

Buy the Osgoods - Automatic Do-Over @ Amazon.com

Play MP3 sample of Osgoods "Not Afraid"

Play MP3 sample of Osgoods "Boulders (Ain't So Heavy)"

Track Listing

1. Boulders (Ain't So Heavy)
2. Eggshells
3. Short, Fat & Ugly
4. Even When We Sleep
5. Not Afraid
6. Sleepyhead
7. Modern Medicine
8. Walk it Off
9. Thinking Out Loud

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