Pasadena

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Pasadena
Pasadena cover
Studio album by Ozma
Released May 11, 2007
Recorded 2005 - 2007
Genre Indie pop
Geek rock
Power pop
Length 36:51
Label About A Girl Records
Producer(s) Billy Burke
Greg Doyle
Mixed by Matt Hyde
Professional reviews
Ozma chronology
Spending Time on the Borderline
(2003)
Pasadena
(2007)
Boomtown
(2014)
Singles from Pasadena
  1. "Eponine"
  2. "No One Needs to Know"

Pasadena is the fourth studio album by American rock band Ozma. It is the first Ozma album to feature drummer Kenn Shane and the first album since the band's reunion in 2006. Initially scheduled for release on May 15, 2007, the album was leaked online on May 7 and subsequently licensed for streaming on Myspace on May 11.

Overview

The album's title (named for the band's hometown), as well as the decision to re-record the tracks "No One Needs to Know" (from The Doubble Donkey Disc) and "Eponine" (from Spending Time on the Borderline), were mandated by the band's management, Right Arm Entertainment.[1] The album was recorded at the Loveless Motel Recording Studio [2] and features guest appearances by Matthew Caws (of Nada Surf), Will Noon (of Straylight Run and Fun), Rachel Haden (of That Dog and the Rentals), Ben Pringle (of the Rentals and Nerf Herder), Eric Summer (of Get Set Go), and Benjamin Chadwick (of New Maximum Donkey).

The album art was photographed at the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena, California.

Reception

Allmusic referred to Pasadena as "the strongest work of their careers," giving it a 4.5 rating out of 5.[3] PopMatters wrote that the album is "more like Weezer's green self-titled album than anything, eager to live up to an ideal and doing a good job of it."[4] The Los Angeles Times called the band "underrated," writing that the album is "more muscular and mature than the crunchy power-pop that gained Ozma a large Southland following over its first three albums."[5] The Northern Express praised the "well-written, catchy indie compositions."[6]

Despite positive reviews, the album sold poorly compared to previous records, and the band members focused on other pursuits for several years thereafter until the release of Boomtown in 2014.[7]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Ozma
No. TitleWriter(s)Lead Vocals Length
1. "No One Needs to Know"  Daniel BrummelBrummel 3:36
2. "Barriers"  Ryen Slegr/Greg DoyleSlegr 3:05
3. "Eponine"  BrummelBrummel 3:18
4. "Fight the Darkness"  Slegr/Kenn ShaneSlegr 2:59
5. "Heartache vs Heartbreak"  Star Wick/BrummelBrummel/Wick[8]/Rachel Haden 3:33
6. "Incarnation Blues"  Slegr/BrummelBrummel/Wick[8] 2:24
7. "Lunchbreak (Cobras Theme)"  SlegrSlegr/Benjamin Chadwick 3:37
8. "Motorology 3:39"  Slegr/BrummelSlegr/Brummel 4:11
9. "I Wonder"  BrummelBrummel/Shane 2:56
10. "Underneath My Tree"  Slegr/BrummelSlegr/Brummel 3:15
11. "Straight Flush"  Slegr/BrummelBrummel 3:56
Total length:
36:51

Personnel

Audio/video

Album art photo shoot

See also

External links

References

  1. Slegr, Ryen (ozmasoundings) https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/File:Pasadenamanagers.jpg
  2. Loveless Motel Recording Studio http://lovelessmotel.com/
  3. Mason, Stewart. "Pasadena Review" AllMusic https://www.allmusic.com/album/pasadena-mw0000570253
  4. Schiller, Mike. "Ozma: Pasadena" PopMatters. 13 August 2007. https://www.popmatters.com/ozma-pasadena-2496222626.html
  5. Bronson, Kevin. "BUZZ BANDS" Los Angeles Times. 3 May 2007. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-may-03-wk-bands3-story.html
  6. "4Play" Northern Express. 30 May 2007. https://www.northernexpress.com/news/music/article-2603-4play/
  7. Chabran, Gab "The Rise And Revival Of Ozma, A 'Secretly Huge' Indie Rock Band" 18 December 2019. https://laist.com/news/entertainment/ozma-band-los-angeles-pasadena-rise-revival
  8. 8.0 8.1 https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/File:DBHVHComment.jpg