Ten years after the release of their debut album, instrumental soul group The Olympians reunite with their long-awaited, faithful follow-up, In Search of a Revival, which returns to their psychedelic roots, out via Dapstone Records.
True to the spirit of the project’s origin, In Search of a Revival brings together musicians to feast on instrumentations that bring out the best of electronic production and tried-and-true orchestral arrangements.
As much as The Olympians is a group effort that often brings together musicians from respected backgrounds, the project came out of producer Toby Pazner’s inner circle in 2008. However, it was a fever dream in 2016 that led to their self-titled debut album. Supposedly, a Greek god-like figure came to Pazner in a dream while he was touring in – where else but – the Greek Islands. The figure urged him to make a “Temple of Sound,” thus planting the seed for The Olympians.
Like the beginnings of The Olympians, which grew out of NYC’s emerging soul scene in the late aughts, In Search of a Revival finds Pazner working with artists connected to Dapstone Records such as Leon Michels of El Michels Affair and Dave Guy of The Dap-Kings. That amount of talent on the album is brought together under Pazner, who composed, arranged, and produced the entire tracklist.
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What also defines the latest album is how much of a love letter it is to the artists and bands that inspire Pazner. On “California,” the lead single to the album, Pazner proves he’s cut from the same cloth as late ‘60s bands like Vanilla Fudge and The Mamas & the Papas. Despite having no lyrics, the track conjures up images of driving up PCH and hiking along the San Fernando Valley.
“Strawberry Kiwi” similarly pays homage to the past, instead taking the eclectic funk of the late Sly Stone and a drum pattern of OutKast. It’s a match made in musical heaven, belonging to no specific decade, as the lush arrangement of horns and keys so delicately played, you could have sworn a ballerina was on top of the piano.
“Hollywood Cold” takes a brief, ominous turn before settling into a smooth groove, albeit maintaining an edge that distinguishes the song from the rest of the tracklist. On the opposite end, “Honey Bea” is a pleasantly excessive display of Pazner’s team. Featuring a 10-piece string section, four trumpets, two trombones, and a baritone, the album closes on a triumphant ending to a movie you’ll never see.
Despite a 10-year gap between albums, it’s safe to say The Olympians climbed back to the top of Mount Olympus.
In Search of a Revival by The Olympians is out on streaming services. For more on new music and tickets to upcoming shows, follow them on Instagram.
