Odds Lane

Lost & Found

Gulf Coast Records

Odds Lane are Doug Byrkit, guitar, bass and vocals; and Brian Zietlie, drums. The pair first met while in high school. Their working relationship has lasted over 25 years as they have toured internationally with numerous artists. Twenty-one years ago they met Mike Zito who at the time was living in St. Louis and looking for a rhythm section with which to form a band. Zito had found in them the perfect match and after working for a while decided to record. In 1998 Zito recorded and released his debut album “Blue Room”. Last year Zito celebrated his twentieth anniversary by re-issuing the album on Ruf Records.

Odds Lane was formed in 2003 and they recorded several projects as independent songwriters. The first album released under the name Odds Lane was 2012’s “Dark Matters” and it garnered Byrkit an ASCAP Plus Songwriting Award, and the band numerous licensing deals. After a re-union with Zito, Odds Lane was inspired to delve into their St. Louis funk and blues roots and release 2016’s “Last Night On Cherokee”.

Earlier this year Zito started his own label, Gulf Coast Records, with his partner Guy Hale. The label’s first releases included albums from Albert Castiglia and St. Louis guitarist Tony Campanella. It was a natural progression that Zito also sign Odds Lane, the former rhythm section, from the remastered “Blue Room”.

The band on “Lost & Found” are Byrkit, Zielie and slide guitarist and producer Zito. The album was recorded at Zito’s MARZ Studios in Nederland, Texas. All songs are written by guitarist Byrkit and drummer Zielie. This collection of eleven new songs once again combines Odds Lane’s South St. Louis blues rock and funk roots with their contemporary songwriting.

The opening track contains the street wise lyric “Just down the street just a mile or so…lives a younger woman that’s rather old, she’s got a stony tale, a tall tale for you, she’s been around the block one time or two…she says hey… you got to make that money, baby Don’t You Give It Away”. Byrkit’s vocal is especially nice on “Ain’t Missing You”, and on “Moth To A Flame” with Zielie’s big beats. The latter also features Zito on slide. Zito plays slide again on “hey brother, can you Spare Some Change”.

The band was on tour when they wrote “five days and Seven States …rains coming down with ice and snow, all day long from Boston to Ohio”. Odds Lane writes great story songs “two in the morning and I can’t sleep anymore, I think there’s someone creeping outside the door, there’s a knock outside oh baby I should take a look… red lights a flashing, po’ boys on the way… there’s blood on the door, the rain can’t wash away…well there’s Blood On The Van…but we got to hit the road”.

The title track “Lost & Found” is about redemption and features the lyric “I’ve been trying to get myself up off the ground…just trying to make things right…been trying to find a way to make it up to you… every night I get down on my knees and pray…if I can get lost baby I can get found”. This is a fabulous song.

“A Little Too Late” is a fabulous groove “you say it’s in your past & it’s your mistake, just a little too late, when I don’t care anymore”; Guitarist Byrkit takes an extended solo. The closer is “White Castle Blues”.

The lyrics make them a fun band both on record and when performing live. This band has a future. I hope we get to hear more from Odds Lane soon.

Richard Ludmerer