Oddnote have an incredibly hard-hitting, traditional rock sound that just oozes style and authenticity right now. Mystified bursts onto the scene with the sort of attitude and weight not really stumbled upon since the likes of The Black Keys or Band Of Skulls. For me, the track has the realness and grit that’s been missing from the mainstream music world, and this pours through in everything from the instrumentation to the vocal passion to the lyrics, and finally to the absolute explosion of intensity throughout those climactic moments. The song starts off with fire and builds to become some other-worldly fusion of elements.
As an introduction to the band, this song works its magic pretty quickly. The set-up is simple, the formula seems set to succeed – a memorable, not too complicated leading riff starts things up, followed by a thick and ferocious drum-line (and this is only the beginning). After this, the vocals storm onto the scene – it’s a simple melody, a few notes arranged in a manner that draws your focus to those peaks at the end of each line, and to the gravel of that leading voice, and indeed to the lyrics. Then you get the all-important fall-away – the space, the quiet, cleverly paving the way with anticipation for the heavy drop that follows. And what a hook.
Mystified offers so much in the way of intense and all-immersive rock music. The final moments erupt into pure volume and energy, vibrancy and desperation, anger and confidence, all intertwined in an infectious and hypnotic way. And then suddenly, just at the height of the experience, everything comes to an end. A sure-fire way to get heavy rock and indie fans to hit that play button once more, without hesitation. I look forward to hearing Oddnote’s longer projects in the future.
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