Odawas is a psychedelic/ambient rock band that formed in Bloomington, Indiana, in late 2003. But, Odawas left the comfortable environs of Bloomington, IN for the more urban and creatively supportive ones of Chicago. Both "Bloomington albums," 2005's Aether Eater and 2007's beautifully titled The Raven and the White Night garnered critical praise, but it was the latter, the group's debut for Jagjaguwar, that was the more focused and enjoyable affair. The reason was that the gorgeous slate of vintage keyboard-driven ambience and atmospherics assembled by Isaac Edwards met more directly the Neil Young-esque songwriting ambitions of guitarist Michael Tapscott, who'd further explored his lyrical side on 2006's solo offering An Appendix of Whaling Terms (under the moniker More Animals of the Arctic), resulting in a more clearly definable series of songlike architectures. Odawas has also had an ever-evolving lineup, though for each of the group's first two albums they recorded and performed as a trio; first with drummer/flautist Jessica Halverson, and then with drummer/engineer Brad Cash.