Born in Vancouver B.C., multi-instrumentalist Adam Willey has been active in the Canadian music scene for over a decade. Willey recently released a three-song EP entitled Oddities, of Sorts. He mentions “Oddities, Of Sorts is a collection of songs that differ aesthetically, and are tied together with themes of uncertainty and vulnerability.”
The EP gets going with “Inspiration” which begins a slick guitar groove and jazzy sounding slick drums. I loved the vocal delivery here. One thing I did notice is that the vocals were panned hard left which is unusual but I didn’t mind it. The vocals are varied in their approach. Willey fits a good amount of words per second at times and then can also slow things down which sounded seamless. I loved what sounded like electronic piano and guitar on the breakdown where he simply sings “inspiration.” There’s a cool guitar solo which contains a good amount of delay and reverb on it. It’s a lush and inviting opener that felt pretty dreamlike as it progressed. I thoroughly enjoyed this song. “Just Because You Can” starts with an ominous sounding drone that sounds like you’re in the middle of a sci-fi movie. Other elements are quickly added like a fast-sounding drum beat and intricate guitar work. The vocals are monotone and sort of robotic sounding which have some sort of effect on them that sounded like a harmonizer and auto-tune. It works well for the song. This very cinematic song continues with a circular sounding synth. The vocals grew on me more and more. I loved the chorus when he sings “just because you can doesn't mean that you should/just because you should doesn't mean that you will.” “It'll Never Be Like It Was Again” contains some beautiful guitar picking. It starts off a little more straightforward than the previous songs. It definitely has more warm and inviting nostalgia that reminded me of Bon Iver. I loved all the instrumentation here which instills a state of calm and serenity. It sounds like there might be an upright bass in here which sounds great. The long pads and piano are perfect and add to the emotional resonance of the songs. I thought all three of the songs were well done and unique in their own way. It displays different sides to his talent but nothing felt too far in left field. I would say there’s enough similarities to create a signature sound. There’s a lot to appreciate with these songs. Take a listen.
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