Milo & Otis

As Finals begin to roll around, the necessity for pleasant studying music grows exponentially. Fortunately, the funky soul duo “Milo & Otis” from Chicago supplies the perfect 11-track tape for note-taking and flashcard-making. Technically, they released their debut piece The Joy almost a year ago; however, following their stop in Ann Arbor last weekend during their Spring 2013 tour, I am just hopping on their soul-train now. Milo & Otis (adorably named after the Japanese movie about the best friendship of a cat and dog) consist of Owen Hill and Jamila Woods. Hill produces, composes and engineers the beats, while Woods writes the lyrics and soothes everyone with her magical voice. That’s the recipe: Otis lays down the track and Milo builds a mountain of entertainment on it.

When listening to the entire album for the first few times, the tracks will inevitably blend together into a somewhat indistinguishable buzz of mellow, electronic soul music. Which is not an established genre of music, making the pair all the more unique. Otis uses a wide variety of horns, electronic amplification, keyboard and drums to assemble the various beats, however they all have a similar tone and pitch. The only major tempo fluctuations occur in the songs, “Black Sheep” which speeds up the usual pace, and “1108 Troy Davis” which slows things down a bit. The album also adds variety with its featuring artists, including most notably Chance The Rapper, (another Chicago native gaining fame by the day) Nico Segal and Enrico X. The guest artists are critical to the album’s success because they provide a needed and wonderful compliment to Woods’ voice. Not that she needs any substitution, (I could listen to her for days straight with no break) but as the pair obviously has some Hip Hop influence, more than one MC is needed on an album.

As you spend more time listening, certain tracks stand out. The album begins with “Can’t Stop Now,” the second-most defining song of the album. Woods starts with the quote, “Your life’s work begins when your great joy meets the world’s great hunger” a line that sets the impression and purpose of the entire work. The Joy, unsurprisingly, encourages the pursuit of passion, and the value of chasing dreams. She preaches, “Who says everybody gotta know what they meant to do in this world/All I know is what I got in my head, I guess I might as well start there.” This mentality is continued across the next ten songs. My favorite track, “Ars Poetica,” finishes with Woods passionately repeating, “Give me something to believe in.” The song “1108 Troy Davis” also stands out, as it is easily the most moving and personal moment. Woods reminisces on the day Troy Davis was killed, singing “I dreamed he was a bird, I told him: they cage our kind, baby so fly away.” The album finishes with the song titled “The Joy” which, as songs go, is practically perfect. It seems impossible not to relate to the lyrics, “Look at your life, look at the joy you give. Look at the world, look at what’s left to live.” It is that optimism, that personal reflection that sets this band apart. In the midst of the current pop music frenzy, Milo and Otis manage to produce an entirely genuine, artistic creation that boasts impeccable, soulful vocals, a groovy, unique sound and a delightful attitude. They simply are a joy.

Listen to “The Joy“