The Olympians released their eponymous debut record about ten years ago. Helmed by Toby Panzer, the instrumental album performed by an ensemble comprised of Daptone Records all-stars, combined funk rhythms and horns with Greco-Roman mythology. Songs about the Gods and their emotional journeys (“Apollo’s Mood”, “Diana By My Side”, Sagittarius by Moonlight”, “Pluto’s Lament”) were meant to build a modern temple of song. The results sounded like a James Brown soundtrack to a Blaxploitation film set in the suburbs of a megalopolis. It was weirdly wonderful and garnered a cult following in the years that followed.
Bandleader Panzer and the Olympians are back with a new release that may not be as strangely marvelous as the first, but offers many of the same phantastic delights. In Search of a Revival replaces references to the ancient cosmos with more contemporary concerns. While the lack of lyrics makes it challenging to define what tracks such as “Hollywood Cold”, “Honey Bee” and “Thunderball” are actually about, there’s a more urban, 1970s, psychedelic vibe to them. The soul roots are still evident, especially in the horn sections, but the melodies lean more toward pop than R&B.
It is as if the gods descended from Olympus and have decided to live more normal lives. While their first album could be described as cinematic, this one sounds more like a television program, with doorbells and nosey neighbors poking their sonic presence into one’s business. Tracks such as “Here Comes Ben” and “A Little Something” have a gentle quality. These songs evoke human relationships more than supernatural ones. There’s a Burt Bacharach-like sensibility to them.
The title cuts (“In Search of a Revival Parts 1 & 2“) are suggestive of spaghetti westerns, and among the record’s shortest tracks at 47 seconds and 65 seconds respectively. Their thematic purposes are unclear. They are not framing devices per se—while Part One opens the record, Part Two is the seventh song on the 12-cut release. This kind of randomness adds to the music’s appeal.
The most unusual tune is “Saraswati Puja”, complete with Asian strings and percussion. The song title refers to a Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Saraswati (the deity of knowledge, arts, music, and wisdom). It stands out because of its Eastern elements, but it is not the most exotic track on a record full of genre-bending sounds. That would probably be “Strawberry Kiwi”, with its celestial opening and journey into outer space. The trip is pleasant, and while not that long, it never seems to end. The musical repetition invokes a sense of relaxation with the unusual sonic landscape.
The Olympians’ In Search of a Revival may be an odd album, but it’s not an unfriendly one. The dozen instrumental tracks offer friendly vibes. Like a Groucho Marx mask on a Hollywood starlet or a talking fish, the mix of familiar sources makes the surreal seem normal and even amiable. One can take whatever meaning one wants from what’s left unsaid by human voices and ascribed to the musical instruments. The revival is in the search itself.