Avant-pop for deep thinkers and jam seekers
Norwegian avant-pop group Ora The Molecule just released their debut album, Human Safari. The album is a 12-track-long journey through the artists’ minds, covering topics from romance to existence to professional competition. During an interview with Clout, Ora The Molecule described their group as “a personified molecule, that is everywhere and nowhere, together with other molecules, constructing our reality.” Another beautiful quote from that same interview that asked the question of why they make music, the band responded with: “[It’s] the excitement of making something meaningful out of nothing. It is also a universal language, making the world into a playground without having to learn all the languages.” Ora The Molecule may be a relatively new artist group, but they are on their way to making more great music, and they certainly have ideas as deep as their music about what they want this music to do for the world.
The album’s experimental and ethereal mood brings the listener in immediately and continues to fascinate with a steady but energetic beat and lyrics that are equally interesting. The lyricism across the album is deep and insightful, songs about fear of failure and the will to face it, about competition for success, wanting something hard to find.
The opening track, “The Ball,” is about this concept of competition for success. According to Brooklyn Vegan, the “ball” metaphor outlines a world where people are all competing for certain success, but too much competition can lead to failure.
“Die To Be A Butterfly,” says Nora Schjelderup, the lead singer of the group, is about her fear of failure but her desire to push herself past her struggles with this fear and to “confront” this fear so she can “bring to life” her passions (via Genius). The songs are inspired by an ’80s dance-pop tone and are full of youthful energy, in contrast to their deep and thought-provoking lyrics. Ora The Molecule brings their self-discovery to the surface and provides an enjoyable underlying track to the listener along with it. The track has a techno tinge, colored with staccato synth sounds that excite and a steady drum track that grounds the music.
In “Helicopter,” the album’s fifth song, the beat does not change much throughout the song, but the music still has uplifting and exciting energy. The music is colorful and playful, fun to listen to. “Beat Beat Beat” incorporates an exciting drum pattern that perfectly complements the energy of the vocals and lyrics. But “Creator” brings the record to an introspective space, reflecting on the way it feels to be inside for too long, something most of which can relate to, especially after the worldwide lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The avant-pop style of Ora The Molecule is wonderfully vibrant and quite enjoyable. It brings the lyrics to life in a genuine way. The music is neither too heavy nor too light. It’s balanced in a way that makes the music great for listening to on calmer or mellow days, but also in more energized situations. Human Safari is a must-have addition to any summertime playlist
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