Oddisee To What End Review

Deemed a musical journal and gradual shift of his life, Oddisee To What End is a 16 track smorgasbord of skillful lyrical delivery, thoughtful subject matter, and expertly crafted beats. If Oddisee were only an MC, this outing would be leagues ahead of the competition. But no, Oddisee wrote, produced, and mixed every track on the record which puts this new album and Oddisee in a league of its/his own. But does it live up to the Odd Cure EP? Let's dive in and find out.

Analyzing 3 Random Songs from Oddisee To What End​

People Watching​

People Watching is by far my favorite song on To What End because of its presence, message, and build up. The beginning features an eerie xylophone that leaves the listener in suspense but is quickly interrupted by a Piano and Bass combo. Oddisee then slides in with a flow that rides the Piano and Bass combo perfectly and takes the hype and suspense to the breaking point...here comes the drums! When the drums drop, this song becomes perfect. The stern Piano and Bass combo paired with the crisp drums are the perfect backdrop for Oddisee's story of anti-social behavior.

"you ever been in company of people you despise

I feel like that every time I take a walk outside

Weekdays run my errands so I don't run into you

Asking what I do for work...I don't care what you do"

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At 0:55 the song mellows out and Oddisee breaks the 4th wall to give us additional detail regarding his anti-social behavior. It's a great mellow intermission to a very bold, bombastic and pompous composition. At 1:18 the Piano hits again and he begins speaking on people's fears, willingness to conform, and how he holds no space for people of that mind-state...but the fun is short-lived. At 1:44 the song switches back to the mellow melody and stays there for the remainder of the track.

I feel that Oddisee's own creativity got in the way of a great song. The thing about art is that it's not about what you paint, it's about what you don't. I feel like he painted a perfect picture but didn't put the brush down and the result ended up being just a "good" picture. Less is more.

Kudos at 2:19...a ringing phone can be heard and was a great touch!

Already Knew​

If I had to take 4 - 5 songs off of To What End this would be one of the 5 to go. The lyrics are just "ok", the beat is just "ok", and the hook is just "ok". While the subject matter may be respectable and inspiring, the delivery of it is not. Oddisee doesn't do the beat any favors either as he relies on his default flow that often sounds little better than rambling. It's not a bad song and it's not a great song...it's just a song and I think that's its biggest downfall.

Ghetto to Meadow (feat Freeway)​

Ghetto to Meadow starts off with a poem that sets the pace for the rest of the song:

"From the ghetto the meadow, gotta hustle, gotta hustle

'cause a thug ain't nothing special when your luck go out the window

It's a struggle not to hustle, to the trouble gettin' settled

Keep your head now in a tussle, use your head though not the muscle"

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Everything about this track is introspective from the beat, to the lyrics, to the flows and it all works well. While the concept is tired and cliched, it is done in a novel and skillful way here. Oddisee starts off the track painting a vivid picture of how miserable conditions in the hood lead people to crime, how things can often go sideways, and then the crime leads to murder. After expounding on that concept he pivots to Police Brutality and the choice people have to make:

• Speak out and lose money
• Stay silent and be complicity

He asks listeners to think about it, choose wisely and then to hedge their bets. Freeway comes in for Verse 2 and talks about growing up in crime-infested neighborhoods and how choosing rap allowed him to progress from the hood to a better neighborhood. His flow and voice are a great complement to the production and a great way to close out the verses.

Overall it's an amazing addition and feels much shorter than the 3:15 runtime.

Skill and Lifestyle​

Skill Analysis​

Instrumentation​

When Oddisee says that he is inspired by Jazz, Soul, and a variety of other music genres it's not jive as you can hear it in the compositions he creates. The result is an album with a very warm, authentic, and mature sound. The biggest downside is that there are too many different styles throughout the endeavor. In trying to make something for everyone, he ends up making an album for no one.

Lyrics​

Everyone on this album delivers, whether they are rapping or singing. Oddisee displays lyrical prowess and complexity but his monotone straight-forward flow can sometimes mask the gravity of his message.

Flow​

Many Hats, More to Come, All I Need, and Hard to Tell are all held back by Oddisee's "machine gun" flow that often feel like a bunch of words flung at you instead of a verse. On some of the album's weaker tracks, Odd is "on beat" but he's not "riding the beat". He ends up spitting a rhyme that seems totally disconnected from the composition beneath.

Lifestyle Analysis​

Oddisee's To What End is an album that pair well with times where you're active e.g. the gym, hike, exercise, cleaning up or when you're chilling after a long day. Since the music is very complex it will grab your attention so it may distract you when listening during times where focus is required e.g. work or school.

Parting Thoughts​

To What End proves that too much of a good thing is often bad. The album doesn't have any bad songs, has a fairly standard runtime of 51 minutes, but feels entirely too long. I chalk it up to there being no thematic glue that stitches the project together. It's a hodge-podge of different feelings, tones, subjects, and in the end becomes fatiguing to the listen to. If 4-5 tracks were shaved off this album it would be a much stronger record. Well what do you know, we did just that. Check it out!

When we look at this record in context of the Odd Cure EP and a 2 year wait does it live up to the hype? Absolutely yes! Oddisee is the personification of the word artist and this music project with groovy basslines and raps of hope and self growth will viewed by many as one of his best albums and one of the best in recent years. We give it: