You’ve probably heard some of ODESZA's songs while out at the bars, at a party or maybe just while shuffling through a playlist. ODESZA, the duo behind the popular songs, “Sun Models” and “Say My Name,” has finally returned with its third album, “A Moment Apart.”
If you were a fan of the last album, you’ll probably be a fan of this one. ODESZA hasn’t strayed far from their past album, but in a good way. ODESZA found its sound, and the duo have decided to stick with what works best for them. ODESZA has created another album that I find to be filled with tunes to dance to.
ODESZA is an indie-electronic, chill-wave, electro-pop style duo that keeps the listener’s head in the clouds while their feet bounce around on the ground in tune with the beat. Harrison Molls and Clayton Knight formed ODESZA in 2012 during their senior year of college.
The hour-long, 16-track album features artists like Regina Spektor, Leon Bridges and Naomi Wild, all while keeping that same signature ODESZA sound flowing throughout the album.
The album opens with a snippet from the movie “Another Earth.” Brit Marling's soft and soothing voice opens the track before flowing nicely into “A Moment Apart.”
This track is clean, relaxing and light. The warped vocal samples create depth in the song, while making the listener unwind. If you’re looking for a light, summery song to make you feel like you’re relaxing in the evening sun, this is the one for you.
The fourth song on the album, “Boy,” is upbeat and dreamy, much like “A Moment Apart.” The effortlessly layered vocals and the shooting-star-like sounds in the background give the listener an image of stargazing and night skies. There aren’t any lyrics in this song other than a soft voice that sounds like it’s saying “boy” over and over, but it is still possible for the listener to hum and sing along. The beginning of the song sounds like shooting stars, and the drop sounds like a rocket ship blasting off, taking the listener to another dimension.
“Line of Sight” slows the upbeat, dreamy album down. It opens soft and slow with hush vocals. The small drop in the beginning is one that will make the listener bob their head back and forth, and the vocals hit an easily singable pitch. There’s a really nice main drop in the first third of the song, and as far as the drops on the album go, this one is in the running for the best.
The seventh song opens with Leon Bridges' ever-so-soothing voice. “Across The Room” is a song that had the instruments staying relatively quiet. ODESZA lets Leon Bridges’ voice shine through on this song, keeping their instruments at a low volume whenever he opens his mouth to sing.
“Just A Memory,” featuring Regina Spektor, includes those clear, beautiful vocals that Spektor is known for. ODESZA used her vocals to its advantage, and layered them over soft, dainty instruments. This song is slow all the way through, and just where you think there might be a big drop, there’s a soft one. This song feels slightly out of place on the otherwise fairly upbeat album, but it is otherwise a great listen. The music swells up toward the end of the track, while the vocals stay muffled in the background.
Another slow, relaxing tune follows the Spektor track, "Thin Floors And Tall Ceilings," starts slow and is made with a heavy beat and swelling instruments that seem to go up and down like waves.
The last song of the album opens with angelic vocals. “Corners Of The Earth” is another track that starts off softly, and though it picks up about two minutes in, it still stays relatively soft. Three minutes in, there’s a larger drop, but it is still nothing in comparison to some of the earlier ones on the album. The soft and heavenly song with a bit of a beat is a great closer for this album.
“A Moment Apart” is a great album for anyone who has found enjoyment in ODESZA’s previous albums, and it’s a good fit for anyone looking for a new chill-electronic album to do homework or walk to class to. This album leaves the listener feeling dreamy, but productive.
The songs on this playlist were chosen because they either make me feel like dancing or are just upbeat, like the songs off the album, "A Moment Apart." They are all songs I would my homework to or dance with my friends to.
This week's playlist features ODESZA, Flume, Foster The People and more. Listen to it here.
