Meet Oddwain, A Gem Found in Malang’s Southern Region
No one thinks beyond the center of Malang when it comes to music. We’re glad Oddwain exist to change that and they come from a suburban area of Malang which is often associated as the home turf of pop punk, punk, or metal genre. Back in January, the band hailing from Kepanjen, Malang has released their debut EP called “La Cosa Nostra” on digital streaming services. Oddwain’s music can be said as a blend between rock, Brit-pop, and everything in between. “Genuine Wanderer” is opened with a dance beat that instantly reminds us of The Killers or Two Door Cinema Club. As the second track enters our eardrums, we have just learned the amazing production value this band possesses. “Space Voyage” that talks about a journey into space feature fast-paced drums combined with vocals a la Brandon Flowers. You can also find a bit of 30 Seconds to Mars or Interpol in this song, which is well fused with Oddwain’s personal touch. No wonder that this track was chosen as the lead single off this EP because it has the potential to get stuck in your brain after first listen. That drums are definitely crazy!
“Unfinished Meaning of Marital” takes us further into Oddwain’s dance-able territory. While the song reminds us of Arctic Monkeys from their “Favourite Worst Nightmare” era, it also has a catchiness that might be the perfect vehicle for Oddwain to enter a wider scope of audience. “Unseen” is a stripped down version of what Oddwain has done on previous tracks. Acoustic guitar melodies lay the foundation for this song which is played throughout the song. It has a bit of twinkle/emo-ish feel to it, but still retains the band’s pop-rock influence in its core. Lyrically, this song makes us contemplate about life and so on. The addition of synths is a nice touch to a rather plain song. To sum it up, this song sounds like a more hipster and indie version of “One Last Breath” from Creed with synths. “Rid The Needles” got us back to Oddwain’s upbeat mid-tempo style with rhythmic guitar riffs. It also got a guitar solo that doesn’t appear on previous songs in this EP. Towards the end of the song, there is also a slightly odd singing style from the vocalist that raises our eyebrows a bit (in a positive way). A refreshing change that fits to be a closing track of the album
“La Casa Nostra” is said to be inspired by Oddwain’s personal experiences. The band who is comprised of four guys in their 20s chronicles reality that comes along with early adult life. It exudes sadness, loneliness, fear of the future, uncertainty, revenge, and anger. The band cites renown philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus as their sources of inspiration when it comes to songwriting. Albeit containing seemingly metaphoric lyrics, we wish that the band articulate their words better while singing so their message is conveyed to the listeners better. Production-wise, we should give our props to Rama Satria, the sound engineer for this album that has done a meticulous work in mixing and mastering all the tracks. The engineer has a lengthy portfolio in handling works from Zivilia down to Indonesia’s former president slash aspiring musician, SBY. Do not let Oddwain’s origin overshadows their potential as a musician and if you don’t listen to their EP, it’s your loss. As their career progresses, we hope that they can explore more sound and establish their own style along the way. “La Casa Nostra” is available to be enjoyed on Spotify and Deezer, while the music video of “Space Voyage” is uploaded onto their Youtube account below!
