After a nerve-wracking week of hints at new activity from much-beloved electronic duo ODESZA, fans finally have a new single to wrap their ears around as they continue to speculate whether or not there is a hidden message behind it all.
“The Last Goodbye” comes after a four-year break from new material under this specific moniker (they did work on a side project with Golden Features in 2020 titled BRONSON). Following clues dropped via social media, the duo updated their website to include an opt-in text feature that cryptically subscribed those who entered their numbers with a “Welcome to The Last Goodbye” message. Of course, this sent followers into a frenzy – what does it all mean – which was only fueled by a home video shared yesterday with the final line being “say bye bye.”
So what does it all mean? A new single.
“The Last Goodbye” has a near 6-minute run time and features enormously powerful vocals by five-time Grammy nominee and Blues Hall of Famer Bettye LaVette. Bringing her well-recognized raspy voice and unique gusto to the orchestral soundscape, Bettye provides an impassioned layer to the sentimental sounds that ODESZA has become well-known for and joins the roster of other incredibly talented vocalists the duo has had the pleasure of working with throughout their career. While listeners can pick up on the classicly euphoric synth production that is easily associated with released records of ODESZA, there is definitely more of a driving bassline that is reflective of their live performance elements.
So the question remains – does the choice of title have a deeper meaning than a single, that likely precedes a new album? Could it symbolize the dissolution of the duo we have come to know and love as ODESZA? The answer is yet to be seen, but with an extremely successful decade-long legacy, it is possible that they may leave on as high of a note as possible.
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