Best New Music: ODIE’s “North Face” recounts a tale of love and ambition
Where feels makes way for dreams and ambitions
Toronto based Nigerian singer, ODIE has been releasing his anticipated album debut, Analogue in bits since January. He started with “Little Lies”, a single contemplating the concept of faith by embodying the vulnerability that comes with self-awareness. Though the song highlights ODIE’s liking for gospel like introspection, neo-R&B melodies and a mix of synth-based ocean-crossing rhythms, makes impossible to say what the album will sound like till its eventual release on the 6th of April. But recently released “Northface” off the project offers more perspective.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgHSDJpHI8r/?hl=en&taken-by=odiexyz
On “Northface”, ODIE applies his knack for layered hooks for a quiet, hypnosis-inducing banger with guitar-led harmonies. The dreamy number takes us through the singer’s past recounting a tale of love while he worked retail at North Face and wasn’t so sure of his place in the world. With the soulful beat finding its pulse in a mid-tempo baseline, there’s plenty of room for ODIE’s blocky vocal phrasing as he stacks syllables that mimic a clipped long-distance conversation or shards of text messages.
Singing “I Used To Work At The North Face, Wasting My Time Just Doing Nothing/ You’re On My Mind When I’m Lonely, Baby You’re Fine In Your Own Way/ Searching For You/ Praying For You” at the beginning of the song, “North Face” comes off like a love song. But ODIE can’t keep himself from introspection as the song goes on to focus more on the singer’s worries and ambitions, “I Find A Way, I’ll Make A Ploy/ I Need That Figure, She Needs This Toy/ Comes All The Way From All The Way From Illinois”.
ODIE’s reflection on his past and romantic relationship with his perfectly blasé delivery reminds us that though it feels good in the short run to plunge headfirst into love, it’s really not a lifelong solution to evading the humdrum of life. “Swear She’s The One But I’m Still Employed At The North Face”.
Listen to ODIE’s “North Face” here,
Featured Image Credits: Instagram/odiexyz
You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu
ICYMI: Listen to ODIE’s “Little Lies” here
