It’s a silky smooth, sensual array of hopeful indie pop that sets Oddnesse’s Are You Down a million miles ahead of their past releases.
If you were wondering when the word anthem would appear on Velvet again, then no longer wonder. The project of Oddnesse began as a studio collaboration between musician Rebeca Arango and producer Grey Goon. The two east-coast expats had arrived independently in Los Angeles plagued by ghosts of old bands. Sharing a vision for infectious beautiful music with a dark, heavy groove and as friends occasionally dropping by the studio with contributions, Oddnesse was born.
Not being their first release as a combined force, Are You Down does, however, appear to set the tone for a new direction for the duo, as it has the eponymous title of ‘anthem’, written all over it. From its sliding guitars and guiding bass hook, complete soaked in an atmosphere of late 80’s/early 90’s dreampop that becomes even stronger when the introduction of synth keys enters into the mix, Are You Down does what all music should do; instantly fixating your complete attention onto its every playable second.
An intoxicating plethora of euphoric dreampop melodies might be enough to gather your attention for a play, but it’s Rebeca Arango’s vocals that will have you sticking around for a second/third/fourth and so forth amount of plays, helping you to truly understand Arango’s narrative.
“I call this my “Pina Colada” song. It’s a very confident and laid-back anticipation of my next lover, where I’m getting specific about calling in someone who can match my energy and approach to life. The question of going “slow” isn’t about romantic pacing per se (though that is important), it’s more about generally moving slow, never rushing to pack in too much all at once or getting anxious about “missing out,” and preferring to sink in and explore the depths of all things.”
The unprovoked strength found in Arango’s largely restrained vocals are something completely worth giving up your entire day to listen to, enjoying every sinking hook and precisely layered melody just as Arango and Goon intended. Somewhere between PJ Harvey and Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Arango’s not so pop, yet pop enough vocals, are what takes Are You Down from being an illustrious dreampop delight, into what Velvet would classify, as a potential anthem.
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