On April 3rd Cody “Amtrac” Cornett released his second full length album, Oddyssey. The first time I ever listened to Amtrac was in 2015, when I heard his song “Lover.” I was instantly a fan and have always enjoyed his releases. Not only is his music fun to listen to, but it is always enjoyable playing out. Whether it’s earlier in the night and it’s a bit deeper or when things start getting more high energy, his music always gets people dancing. I can’t tell you what a big deal that is for a dj. For me, when you play music people don’t know, and they still dance, it tells you a lot more than how well an album sells. The first time I listened to Oddyssey I knew I was going to fall in love with it. Odyssey is cohesive and has some insanely good progressive house tracks, while offering a nice variety as you flow from song to song.
The album kicks off with an almost magical flutter with the track “Ethel”—reverse piano chords and synths surround while properly introducing you to the album. I always appreciate when an artist takes the time to craft an album. It’s not a bunch of songs that are released together: rather each song is a continuation of the same idea.
It goes from an introduction to a driving track leading into the second track of the album “Accountable”. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It has more of a traditional song structure, with an 80’s feel. The first time I listened to this, my husband yelled out “I want to make music like this!” That was when I knew I would be listening to this album on repeat.
“Between the Lines” is another fantastic tune that picks up pace and has a great bassline. If there were clubs open right now, this would be a great track to play as the night is heating up. “Replica” gets a bit deeper to bring you into a fun, funky groove. The arpeggiated synths and fat pads remind me of a lot of synthwave that is popular today.
After we chill out a bit, Amtrac brings us back up with a solid progressive house track “Madness To Mayhem”. In this song chock full of soft bouncing bass, piano, and guitar, the vocals make me imagine the scene he is creating. It has simple but really well designed buildups and breakdowns throughout, creating space and movement in a less-is-more approach. At the end there are some full lush pads that make you feel warm and fuzzy.
The next—and possibly best—track on the album is “So Afraid,” featuring Alex Metric. I’ve caught myself singing the vocals even when I’m not listening to the song. It has all the elements a great dance track should have to keep you dancing from beginning to end.
“Wish I Could” is a track that always piques my interest, in the sense that I listen for all the different sounding percussion. The unique sounds and textures, accompanied by echoing plucks, harps, and almost sci fi sounding synths, combine to make a fun deep track.
Another more traditional track, “Stratego,” is a fun indie pop dance song. Amtrac has a fantastic songwriting ability, and it’s showcased by playing all the instruments and singing on top. I’m reminded of older Phoenix songs every time this comes on.
“Oddyssey” is another progressive house track that is really quite elegant. The bouncing bass and echoing chords melt beautifully into the arpeggios and other echoing synths. Things slow down in “My Bad Your Fault,” with a broken beat and retro synths that lull you into an almost daydreaming state.
“No Place,” featuring Lali Puna, has some fun chords that slowly creep into feedback. It’s another track with a lot of the same elements as the rest of the album. The album ends with “Too Many Visions”. It is a slow methodical track that properly says goodbye to the listener.
The more I listen to the album as a whole, the more I realize how many similar elements there are throughout. It’s well-crafted, so at a time when we could all use some fun dance music, do yourself a favor and listen to Oddyssey a few times.
You can listen to the album at https://smarturl.it/Oddysseyx. For more reviews and playlists by DJ Killa Chris, click here