Odunsi Shows Flashes of Greatness on rare.

Odunsi (The Engine) / amped illustration

Super talented singer, songwriter, & record producer Odunsi, already dubbed king of the new school genre of music “Altè” which is experimental & carefree, is out to prove his doubters wrong and repay the faith to those who believed in him with the announcement & release of his debut studio album, rare.

With an album title that reeks of mystery, he draws the curtains for his show, with the titular “rare” where the voiceover artist makes a rendition in the 2nd person while referencing the man of the moment; that it’s his time and he is ready, paired with the multiple background vocals to set the project in its rightful mood.

falling - obviously draws its inspiration from the mid-tempo disco funk tune “Rock With You”, where a wise Odunsi attempts to make the record an enjoyable and relatable one with the songwriting and melody.

take me there - a record with so much uncertainty as to whether to make it a full song or cut it into an interlude which was very unnecessary, rightfully features the vibrant 19-year-old jazz singer from Hackney UK who makes a passionate rendition of her verse on this record; like she was out to prove a point on the song. Odunsi really rested on her form, throughout the entire song. It seemed like a record which meant so much to him with the voice note attachment at the end, but the song was poorly executed.

outcast - is a simple record with solemn kicks & snares that give it the exact bump it needs to flourish in the minds of the listener. An obvious effort to make conscious RnB music, while storytelling a bit of his journey so far.

After listening to the first 4 tracks, the positioning of “divine”, which features Davido, seems excellently placed, as it proves critical to becoming the perfect album material which will score massive points for this project.

wanted you – has all the stylings of the famous and soulful new jack swing type of records which is a major pointer that Odunsi is great at composing his music that pulls samples from acts of the 70’s & 80’s era that influence him. He probably meant well with the lyrics of this song, but if you listen to tunes from Al B. Sure! & Bobby Brown, I guess this could pass as the homegrown talent in that playlist.

angel - the drum kit snares at the beginning of this record already sets the calm tone to which this song will take in an atmosphere that seems repetitive to previous songs on the album, but the catchy hook gets the listeners going as to accommodating the song. The arrangement done with the presence of the guest artist is also a decent & commendable one.

take a break - is that track that hits home and feels very personal to Odunsi. One of the standout tracks on the album and most likely must have been very challenging to complete. Odunsi deserves an applause for the perfect outing he had on this record.

express - has that bump that imitates the star-studded guest appearances on it. Easily one for his rap music fans, as it has that double drop-stop of Trap sounds all over it to keep up with the current circle of lovers of similar type of songs.

dance floor - He attempts to create that old school disco party vibe on it with the rhythm of the bass guitar playing on and not leaving him behind as he delivers through.

Odunsi transitioned to the closing stages of his body of work by enlisting the help of Runtown, to create a mainstream type of record that has traditional highlife arrangement to it. He expresses himself more as a fun person on the track “star signs”, while Runtown gives an entire new edge to this project. At the point of tracks like “hectic” and “green light”, the album already feels exhausting, long & “hectic” to listen to. While the final & bonus track on this showcase is the studio album version of “Altè Cruise” which was previously released as a single, and easily seems like the eureka moment of this project, which his current and potential fans will find most enjoyable. The record is far more permissible to his primary environment compared to other songs on the album.

The Verdict - From start to finish, this album is enjoyable, but it has a repetitive flow to it. (Even if he wanted to come off with that Drake ‘Take Care’ feel, he should have spiced his implementation way differently than this). An important fact is that there is nothing Altè about this body of work; not what his Altè music lovers would have been expecting, in fact, Odunsi “let them down”. This album is nothing like the culture he is trying to shift to the mainstream market. His outing here is straight up disco, funk, soul, & old school RnB. Maybe to make his mark as a matured and intelligent musician who wants to appeal to a new set of fans. It’s quite a commendable effort from him, but all songs have the simple head-shaking vibe to it. There is no mind-blowing moment of sheer brilliance. All in all, he comes off as a smart and intelligent presence to have in a music making space that knows how to compose and arrange many infectious sounds/music in the studio. Overall, this is an average 50% body of work from him, but I doubt his handlers will let him know what it is.

Listen to rare. on Apple Music