Nommo and the Great Culture Heroes from orKa Odyssey drops this Friday, but we’ve got the review for you right here and right now. Mixed by frontman Kyle Malone, Nommo is a rich album full of decadent production and an abundance of tunes. With 18 tracks and clocking it at almost and hour and fifteen minutes, Nommo is a sprawling musical opus that at once feels like a greatest hits album as well as a concept piece.
“Seashell City Sepulchre” opens the album and it is a beautifully atmospheric moment that captures the sounds of the seaside against a Beatles-esque harpsichord and bass. Crashing ocean waves are traded for pulsating disco beats and falsetto vocals as “Jenny” follows. Its groovy electronic production is one half of an album that comes complete with more organic sounds such as the strummy acoustic guitar that “Lost in 50 Shades of Blue” is built upon. “Melted Ice Cream Cone” is next and it, like “Seashell City Sepulchre” before it, is something of a musical interlude as it establishes a mood and furthers a theme all without a single lyric.
“Bikini Bay” continues our journey along the beach as exotic tones and percussion mingle with shimmering synths and guitars. “Nommo and the Green Genie” opens with the bombast of a James Bond soundtrack and flows into a meditative track that beautifully unfurls before the listener. “Cherry Sweat Descending Smooth Curves” follows with reverb soaked vocals and a bright acoustic paired with swimming electronic tones. “Purposeful Porpoise” is a bubbly, spacey number with a bouncy beat that could definitely accompany Ecco or Flipper as they make their way through the waves.
Overall, the album proves there is no such thing as an embarrassment of riches as tracks like “Queen of Mars” and “I Know There’s A God” are lined up on the second half. Each could stand alone as singles with opulent production and catchy choruses. And that’s not even mentioning the boisterous, vibrant retro style of “Please, Please Your Plesiosaur” or the synthy goodness of “Love and Fantasy”. The beach theme continues with the bubbly “Florida” and orKa Odyssey continues to prove they can create atmosphere like nobody’s business with the dark, stormy “The Forest”. On Nommo, orKa Odyssey swung for the fences and they connected with a massive collection of tunes that are evocative and cinematic while still effective as songs with good beats one can dance to.
You can dance along with orKa Odyssey’s Nommo and the Great Culture Heroes this Friday when the album drops. You can also follow orKa Odyssey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp, and on their website at orkaodyssey.com.
