Kazyak is an indie rock band based in the Twin Cities. The band has two releases under their belt, Happy Camping EP (2017) and the Reflection LP (2018), and today, we’re proud to premiere the third, Odyssey.
Meandering guitar jams and spacey synths find themselves at home in Odyssey. The first track, “Contravertical,” is a spacey introduction to the album, starting with a recording that’s quickly distorted and covered up with glowing synthesizer. “Contravertical” is a jam–it’s slow, steady, and calls to mind some Pink Floyd influences. We find the energy picking up in “Discover” as the band embraces more of their indie rock qualities. “Zombie Dream” offers the listener a bit of a break in the form of a slow, dream pop-styled song before jumping back into the classic guitar rock riffs of “Smoke Jumper.”
In between catchy-as-hell synth lines and vocal harmonies, you’ll find plenty of instrumental jams, and Kazyak are not one to shy away from a groove. “Discover,” “Paper Bird,” and “Smoke Jumper” all find the band in their own world, layering instrument on top of instrument in swirling compositions that last just long enough.
Of the release, guitarist/songwriter Peter Frey had this to say:
[The album is] more rugged, forward-looking and psychedelic than our past releases. It’s the first record we’ve recorded live, and is channeling inspiration from Patagonia and themes from Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth. It attempts to capture the desire to explore and to take the listener to the edge of discovery.
Something about Odyssey screams nostalgia. Maybe it’s the crisp, steady drum beats, maybe it’s the classic guitar tones, but whatever it might be, it’s still wrapped up in a package that feels very modern. Though Odyssey is equal parts dreamy, spacey, and indie, it’s all psychedelic.
From front to back, Odyssey is pure, delicious ear candy. There’s no song, no jam that I would skip, making this an album that I all-encompassingly dig.
Kazyak is Peter Frey (guitar), Andy Wolfe (guitar), Pat Hayes (synth, piano), Tyler Safranek (bass), and Nick Grewe (drums).
Kazyak Official | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | Spotify