It’s the purpose of a concept album to establish a lyrical and musical coherence between the individual tracks on the record. Within those lines, some even manage to reflect upon a certain mood or time – like Oddisee, who is known for his ability to create instrumental albums inspired by one specific topic. And, after having already proven his skills on Odd Seasons, he has just released his second album of that category. While the leaves turn brown and the days are getting shorter, Rock Creek Park is capturing the very last signs of the warm season within musical snap-shots. The album deals with the park of the same name, one of his favorite places in Washington, D.C. Inspired by Rock Creek Park by the Blackbyrds, the album is a soundtrack to reflect his memories of this place like yellowed Polaroids. The instrumentals were made to mirror the feelings arising when he takes a stroll or rides his bike on the park’s narrow paths. Oddisee presents his very own interpretations of these pictures throughout subtle arrangements made of breaks, samples and live-instrumentation. In doing so, he proves the his sense for compositions marking him as an exceptional and wide-ranging producer. On the opener, Skipping Rocks, he already creates an orchestral momentum, on which he canonically layers various instrumentals, just to start out freshly all over again. Equal to the nostalgic impressions, the album takes turns between funk-driven, psychedelic synths-tracks and driving percussions with soft harmonies and poignant drums. Rock Creek Park only took ten days in the making, and still, it surprises the listener with a casual virtuosity and a fresh directness that many – much more time-consuming – productions lack.
Rock Creek Park
