Driving with an entirely different energy and tone than the previous release I Should Go, Kuwait artist and producer Odd Cadet takes things down a distinctly more intimate pathway, for the colourful indie pop styling and reflective realism of A Little Excitement.
Vocally quite captivating for its lightness and the rather intricate yet precise melodic waves of the verses, A Little Excitement is essentially an acoustic pop take on the darkness and difficulty of mental health turmoil.
Being open about such topics and being a creative musician in Kuwait is something completely different to here in the UK – talking freely about your struggles or mental illness is frowned upon, and so, Odd Cadet found the strength and opportunity to delve into these issues, by way of an English language single that’s both poetic and profoundly personal.
Essentially there’s a relatable core to this song, it doesn’t dwell on the darkness, not in the vibe nor in the lyrics, but instead it focuses on this idea of being a people-pleaser or keeping things bottled up in favour of A Little Excitement. “Get so caught up in every situation. I know I don’t belong…. Stringing myself along.”
It’s a the all-too familiar story of keeping up appearances, carrying on and putting on a brave face in order to maintain the respect of those around us; rather than letting the weight fall away by sharing it with a friend or someone who actually cares.
A Little Excitement is a colourful and upbeat yet quiet single, melodically beautiful, and you’d be forgiven for missing the painful connotations as the joy of the sound pours through. But with each revisit, the chapters of this story thread together all the more notably, and the song essentially reaches out to be that friend, that kindness, to those who need it. The dynamic shifts from ‘me’ to ‘you’, and in the process offers a helping hand, a warm embrace, and a strong reminder that we’re never alone in these hard times.