On her debut record, 20-year-old Australian Brit Odette sounds mature beyond her years. With its named gleaned from a Walt Whitman poem, Odette is clearly a well-read, highly proficient lyricist – and has mentioned in interviews how her love of poetry from a young age influenced her song writing. It's this skill that shines through on To a Stranger, and helps the record stand out from its otherwise conventional production and lack of variation.
To a Stranger starts strongly with the melodic Collide, a piano-heavy tune with a nimble beat centred around Odette's milky voice and a poetic hook: "The simplest touch leaves a burn on me." Lights Out follows, easily the record's best track. While its production stays frustratingly close to the previous song, it stands out as a concise RnB/pop banger, packing an emotional punch as Odette details her comedown from an intoxicating love. The singer has revealed this album deals with her experience in an abusive relationship, which adds a harrowing weight to the track's catharsis.
As the record progresses, a lack of variation slows its momentum, leaving one wondering whether this may not quite be the RnB breakout the label might hope for it to be. It bears many similarities to another release from this year, Jorja Smith's excellent Lost and Found – but where that album opts for theatrics and distinguishable sections to fall in love with, To a Stranger leans too heavily on the same tricks, to its own detriment.
But there's many a gorgeous tune in the mix to announce Odette as one to watch, particularly when she employs spoken word elements. Both the mid-tempo jam Watch Me Read You and piano ballad Lotus Eaters stand out for that reason, with Odette's delivery often devastatingly affecting. Her lyrical prowess is undeniable – let's just hope next time, the production rises to match it.
