Today marks Mello Music Group’s wide release of Oddisee’s newest project Odd Seasons, which is now available in both digital and CD format with vinyl on the way! The project is composed of four seasonal EPs as one 31 track edition. The Washington DC emcee/producer has grown more confident and relaxed with each release, crafting a distinct brand of Hip Hop. Last week we opened the campaign for Odd Seasons with an ode to Prince Georges County that debuted in The LA Times: This week, Oddisee takes listeners on another sonic excursion.

You Don’t Close Your Eyes is about the dynamics of a relationship turned cold. Clever wordplay and an effortless cadence propel this insightful tale of domestic apathy, which finds Oddisee questioning what changed in his relationship: “restaurant parking lots seem like the spot in the plot where you like to talk a lot, where it used to be the spot in the plot where the windows was steamed because the heat coming off was hot.” Also along for the ride is frequent collaborator/keyboardist, Ralph Real, whose tenor adds an emotional intensity that helps accentuate the frustrations of unrequited love.

Oddisee has sharpened his technique to a refined point. Teeming with layers, heartfelt chords flutter from the piano forming inverted triads. Smooth drums and thick, rubbery basslines lend themselves to the mood, subtly moving and shifting as the track builds up steam. Crisp strings bring it all to a pleasant musical crest. Oddisee’s production is charged with the kind of craftsmanship that’s easily digested, yet brimming with complexity for those eager to dive beneath the surface.

Oddisee – Odd Season: (iTunes) (CD)