We’ve all known that ODESZA’s fourth album was happening sooner or later, but when they unexpectedly shared a photo of a desktop folder that read “ALBUM DONE,” the countdown to it being given an official name and date seemed to near its finale. Less than 24 hours later and they’ve checked off both of those items, with ODESZA formally revealing their 13-track fourth album The Last Goodbye will be out on July 22 and pairing the long-awaited announcement with the LP’s third preview with The Knocks.
And the timing truly could not be any better, with ODESZA having just announced a now sold-out, three-night hometown run at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena from July 29 – 31, which will mark their first string of shows dating back to 2019. The Last Goodbye is set to be the “most personal record to date” from the Foreign Family founders, being further described via a press release as a “project rife with brightness and emotion, nostalgic yet rooted in the present, it serves as a sweeping sonic experience that speaks to themes of connection, reminiscence and the impact we impart on one another.”
With the mouthwatering album news also comes ODESZA’s newest look into The Last Goodbye—following its eponymous cut with Betty LaVette and “Better Now” with MARO—in the form of “Love Letter” alongside The Knocks. And ODESZA and The Knocks’ ’90s and 2000s-inspired, orchestral-laden meeting had been a half-decade in the making, with the latter explaining that it went through a laborious process before they eventually passed it off to the former because they “always knew there was something really special about it.” ODESZA explained that they randomly came across The Knocks’ original demo again while working on The Last Goodbye and it “embodied much of the sound [they] were looking for,” ultimately evolving into the track now known as “Love Letter.” ODESZA also explained how they’ve been able to take a step back in the time since A Moment Apart and regain a sense of focus, adding,
“Over the past few years we’ve been able to reflect on who we are, what it means to do what we do, and in the end, who we are doing this for. We became focused and inspired by the impact our families and friends have imprinted on us, and how we want to continue to echo that out as we move through this life. We found comfort in the fact that those who we love stay with us, that they become intrinsically part of us, in a way.”
The Last Goodbye tracklist
1. This Version Of You (feat. Julianna Barwick)
2. Wide Awake (feat. Charlie Houston)
3. Love Letter (feat. The Knocks)
4. Behind The Sun
5. Forgive Me (feat. Izzy Bizu)
6. North Garden
7. Better Now (feat. MARO)
8. The Last Goodbye (feat. Bettye LaVette)
9. All My Life
10. Equal (feat. Låpsley)
11. Healing Grid
12. I Can’t Sleep
13. Light Of Day (feat. Ólafur Arnalds)
Featured image: Julian Bajsel
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