Odd Seeds. I Am Oak

I Am Oak releases no less than a double album as proof of his activities during the pandemic. Even though all songs are solo interpretations of older work recorded as part of online activities during the first part of the Covid crisis, there's a lot to enjoy on Odd Seeds. The album shows the even softer side of the artist Thijs Kuijken, who is the songwriter and singer behind I Am Oak.

All albums contain extremely delicate songs that deserve total dedication while listening. Add the dreamy way of singing by Kuijken and you have a clear picture of his music. (Mind, there are exceptions!) In an odd way this makes Odd Seeds an extremely present album. Because of the fact that in many songs, there's only an acoustic guitar, the instrument is extremely clear and in my face. This results in a presence that is noteworthy and different from the regular songs and albums.

This is different when a keyboard is the instrument of choice, like in the first single 'Furrows'. It lies under the voice, creating a far more dreamy atmosphere. It is only Kuijken and me left in the world. The third category is when an electronic beat accompanies the playing. So now you know the three flavours of Odd Seeds. Sorry, four, I forgot about the banjo in 'On Oxen'.

All in all there's 26 songs on Odd Seeds and I'll admit that listening to the 26 songs in one go is a bit of a challenge. Start the album at any point though and I do not have a single doubt about its quality and the quality of I Am Oak's songs as a whole. There are so many songs on it that are special that it makes Odd Seeds an album to cherish.

Kuijken may have recorded the songs in a period two months, the album is a whole. The sound is connected to the whole. A main reason is Thijs Kuijken's delicate high voice. His voice does rise above a whisper, but manages to give the impression of whispering. He does not need a single moment to exert himself or put loads of emphasis on a lyric to make an impression. Thijs Kuijken fits in an ages long tradition of bards and troubadours with modern means.

And then to think that there are 24 other songs. Thijs Kuijken recorded 50 songs in 50 days to be uploaded to the www, as a way to perform anyway, what had been the intention for 2021 following that beautiful album 'Osmosis' of 2019.

Not a single artist (and any other person for that matter) will be happy with the Covid pandemic, but some have taken the opportunity to create something special. Would we ever have heard Odd Seeds otherwise? Most likely no, so, be grateful for that (and hope that in 2021 we can see I Am Oak perform live in a venue nearby once again).

Wo.

You can listen to and order Odd Seeds here:

https://snowstar.bandcamp.com/album/odd-seeds

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g