Odawas – The Blue Depths

With a solid outing of music that has always been respected but never unquestionably, recognized, Odawas’ duo, Michael Tapscott and Isaac Edwards, have made a name for crafting and creating ambient music that can be listened to on many different levels. After 2007’s complex and very different, Raven and the White Night, the two have returned with a deeper sense of light and have immersed themselves into the sea with The Blue Depths.

Make no doubt about it; there is a reason why this was released only three days after Valentine’s Day. From the cover art to the song titles to the choice of colors, this is a love album and one for happy couples to, well, love. “Harmless Lover’s Discourse” is a fitting example of what this album is meant to be. The music is bouncy, lightly splashed with hints of mystique and sun and the synthesizer adds that extra ‘oomph’ of captivation.

While all of the songs are credited to Tapscott, the presence of the two is paramount to the album’s success. And the two have willingly adjusted their differences to not only modify the styles but to accommodate both parts as if they were baking a cake. Only here they are building a sand castle with their compositions, as seen on “Our Gentle Life Together.” It begins with an acoustic strumming and singing that is retrospective while still maintaining that air of love. With the rumbling of the strings and winds that join at the end; this is what every song should sound like.

Ten days before the album’s release date, the tandem printed a list of recommended listening before immersing one’s self into The Blue Depths. On that list were other similar albums that surely had an important effect on the pair. Albums like Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue and Joni Mitchell’s The Beginning of Survival are just a few but their inclusion alone shows that this is a strongly influenced album.

“The Sounds of Lies” is heavily processed and “Moonlight/Twilight” is a slow-building wave of peace and calmness. While most of the material can sound like another duo, Beach House, it contains its own special twist on this ambient genre. The album’s closer, “Boy in the Yard,” is the most polished song with clean production that brings the voices to the core of the sound. The surfing synths and crashing drums are propelled around the singers but the voices shine through.

For the most part, this is a fine addition to Odawas’ brimming catalog. With just enough tenderness and in a way, silence, it fulfills its duty of conveying the couple’s loving embrace on the back cover. It’s simply constructed, confidently attempted and ultimately, radiantly accomplished. And much like that couple, the album’s missteps are present but there is enough good to prove this is a solid effort.