Jesusfreakhideout.com: Meeting of the Mimes, "Odyssey" Review

JFH Indie Review

CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Meeting of the Mimes
Odyssey

Artist Info: Discography
Street Date: December 31, 2025
Style: Alternative Rock / Rock / Indie Pop
Official Site: Facebook Page

READER RATING:

– / 5.0 (0 votes)

Odyssey is the result of the hard work of singer/songwriter Alex O'Brien and his musical project, Meeting of the Mimes. Having spent the last two years getting back into the swing of writing and producing music, Odyssey is evidence of O'Brien's growth as an artist, providing some of his best-written and best-sounding music yet. As is his modus operandi, O'Brien clearly was not content to stick to one sound for the album, as the songs blend together cinematic pop, alt rock, and indie pop. Unfortunately, due to such varied styles, some of the songs probably would've landed better as standalone singles. There's a lot going on, but instead of a seamless blend of styles, it feels a bit disjointed, as the listener is rarely prepared for the stylistic shift from one song to the next. "Carpe Diem" opens the album with a pretty piano melody and a lovely indie pop sound, but it's followed by a mellow acoustic pop number in "Come Back Home," the quirky pop rock of "Butterflies," the downtempo electropop of "Treason Water," a really nice alt rock sound in "The Middle" (which borrows some elements from "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World), and the folksy "Neighbor." Again, most of what you'll hear here is good stuff, but overall, Odyssey might be better suited for playlisting the individual songs rather than listening through as an album. That being said, Alex O'Brien and Meeting of the Mimes bring a lot to the table on Odyssey. I'm definitely interested to hear what's next - I'm just hoping for a bit more cohesion next time.

- Review date: 12/29/25, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com

(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 14!

JFH Staff's Second Opinion

If you have ever read Homer's Odyssey, you have an idea on how the story can give you a sense of whiplash in the different sub-genres it uses to tell its tale. You have high-seas adventure mixed with fantasy, romance and horror, spycraft and warfare. For Meeting of the Mimes' (a.k.a., Alex O'Brien) latest album, Odyssey, the effect of whiplash is similar. There's a variety of genres present here, from folk rock ("Come Back Home") to emo/punk rock ("Butterflies") to electronic, Twenty One Pilots-esque sounds ("Treading Water"). The most jarring example within a single song is "Good Morning," which begins as a sweet, pop rock love song that is suddenly interrupted by a rap bridge. But the whiplash isn't only in the musical stylings; the themes of the songs also jump around. "Carpe Diem" opens the album, feeling like a song written for a child, encouraging them to take the road to Jesus. Then "Come Back Home" starts up, focusing on a marriage that's falling apart. Then "Butterflies" kicks in as a fun song about falling in love (and having success in marriage). After O'Brien gets past "Remember Me" (a touching song about losing a grandparent to Alzheimer's), the album settles down thematically and focuses on themes of encouragement ("The Middle"), outreach ("Neighbor"), love ("Good Morning"), and parenthood ("Dreamer's Lullaby"). What makes Odyssey a baffling album is that if you take any one of these songs out on their own, they're solid tunes. They're all well-produced and entertaining. But putting them together in the order they're presented here feels like a mish-mash playlist. Repeat listens smooth some of this over, however, and perhaps O'Brien is trying to mirror Homer's story in some ways. It's not a bad showing, overall, for Meeting of the Mimes. In fact, a lot of it is quite good. It's an indie effort worth checking out and shows promise for future releases. - Review date: 12/5/25, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com

Record Label: None

Album length: 14 tracks: 58 minutes, 34 seconds

Street Date: December 31, 2025

Carpe Diem (2:01)

Come Back Home (4:12)

Butterflies (3:58)

Treading Water (4:08)

Remember Me (4:53)

Horizon (3:24)

The Middle (4:20)

Neighbor (3:42)

Good Morning (3:58)

Sunshine (3:10)

Dreamer's Lullaby (3:40)

Held by You (3:15)

Winds of Change (4:27)

It's Not Goodbye (4:26)

spacer

Jesus Freak Hideout (Scott Fryberger): It was just about two years that ago you released your first single under the Meeting of the Mimes name. Were you planning for a full-length album the whole time or did you simply start out with some singles in mind?

Alex O'Brien: I had always wanted to release an album, but I was always afraid of people's criticism of my work and thought it was not in the cards to write, compose, and complete 12 songs. Since 2019, I had discussed with my brother, I thought it would be cool to write a concept album, that followed a journey from life to death, and many of the seasons and feelings in between. Once I wrote the first song, "Carpe Diem" from some early compositions I had come up with nearly 20 years ago, I knew that it was a possibility to do this process another 12 or more times! The songs came naturally, and once I looked at the big picture, I realized I had accidentally accomplished what I had thought wasn't possible many years ago.

JFH (Scott): Were there any specific goals you wanted to achieve during the making of Odyssey?

Alex: First and foremost, this album is a time capsule for my family, encapsulating my thoughts, convictions and feelings on the many seasons of my life. Also, this was a personal life goal to complete a full length album. As I went along though, it taught me to persevere, take constructive criticism from others, learn new things, and connect with others.

JFH (Scott): It's hard to not notice or appreciate the growth in production value from your earlier output to now. What steps have you taken to improve your production game?

Alex: Haha, if you listen to my earlier work, you can definitely tell the difference in mixing, vocals and song structure. I think it's a combination of taking constructive criticism and collaboration with others that have been doing this much longer than I have! Once I had met Adam Huttington, he helped take our music to a whole new level. I think always continuous improvement is not only essential in music, but in life. I think there is such a thing as natural talent, but the older I get, the more I realize that consistency, practice and perseverance can transform any craft you work on.

JFH (Scott): You've regularly collaborated with other artists for Meeting of the Mimes material. Do you anticipate collaboration being a core part of the project until you call it a day?

Alex: Sometimes collaborations are occur after I hear an artist perform and they fit an idea I have, and others it is a deliberate endeavor. No matter the case, music is not meant to be done in solitude, rather a way God brings people together.

JFH (Scott): As always, the songs on Odyssey cover some interesting ground in terms of mixing genres. You also borrowed some melodies and lyrics from Jimmy Eat World's megahit "The Middle" for your song of the same title. What other artists have you been listening to lately that you may cite as musical inspirations?

Alex: Yes. Haha, it's hard to necessarily pin one genre to this album, and that was on purpose. I feel like different music genres remind us of different times in our lives and melody changes. The energy changes. I also have an appreciation for many types of music, so I thought it only natural that I create the breadth of what I enjoy. From Simon and Garfunkel, to NF to Skillet, it's a lot of ground to cover! I think the most influential artists I have listened to are Switchfoot, MAE, and Relient K. The song "Butterflies" is my ode to the early 2000's Relient K punk rock sound.

MAE's The Everglow and self-titled album all have symphony, piano and rock elements. What started my whole album production journey was the song "I Want a Dog," by Weezer. There are so many different genres and excellent artists out there that I could spend hours talking about it. I think one artist that has been impactful to me, and many other artists, are The Beach Boys. The harmonies, music composition and creativity of Pet Sounds is so inspirational.

Originally, I was going to do a slower cover of the song, "The Middle," by Jimmy Eat World. I think the message is really good when you slow down the song. There was another phrase that had come to me, though, that I think needs to be heard by many, so I ended up recreating a totally different song!

JFH (Scott): Now that you have a full-length album to your name, will you be looking to play any live shows or put together a full band?

Alex: I have had the opportunity to play a live acoustic set, but don't have any plans to play it live currently. We will see if that changes!

JFH (Scott): I know it tends to be a tough question, but if you had to choose, which songs from Odyssey are you most excited for listeners to hear?

Alex: I think it depends on what season of life the listener is in. I think my favorite composition that I am really proud of is "Remember Me." The song I think is the best overall is "Come Back Home," and the lyrics that I am the most proud of are the opening verses of "It's Not Goodbye" and "The Middle."

JFH (Scott): What are you looking forward to in 2026?

Alex: I am excited to be done with this project! This has been just a figment of my imagination for so long. I also have had the pleasure of growing with artists such as 3hre, Something Greater, Songs of Solomon, Pure Lyricz, J10 and many others and look forward to what new projects they may have.

For the first time in a long time, I am excited for Christian music. Artists like "Ignescent," "Hopeful," and "TriCord" have been encouraging to me, and I have a renewed excitement for great music with a great message. I think leading the charge is Forrest Frank and Brandon Lake. I am excited for the future of Christian music!

JFH (Scott): Anything else you'd like to share?

Alex: I think in this era of music, there is so much content. One might ask, "Why make this album or more music? Does the world need these songs?" I think the real question is, "How do we make an impact on others and leave a lasting legacy?" I think it's important to challenge ourselves to create new things and to connect with others. For many, these songs may not be special or particularly profound, or good. But to me, they are priceless songs that I can share with many to show empathy and that you are not alone.