Ever the prolific artist, Oddisee is already back with another album after this spring’s Odd Seasons. It’s another (mostly) instrumental effort, this time inspired by the park for which the album is named. As Oddissee explains, the park has been a mainstay in his life growing up in D.C. It’s meant different things at different points in life, from a little child to a teenager to a grown man. He set out to make an album that reflected these things, and the result is a wonderfully moving tribute.

The record is comprised of a combination of break beats, samples, and live instrumentation, with Jon Laine on drums, Ralph Real on keyboards, and Dennis Turner on bass. The chemistry developed between players and Oddisee’s production work is absolutely incredible. You’d be hard-pressed to guess where the live instrumentation stops and the programmed material comes in. What really pushes the album to the next level is Oddisee’s songwriting, arranging, and production. This an artist at the top of his game. While Odd Seasons suffered from too long of a run time, Rock Creek Park is the perfect length. Songs blend into each other and mood and tonal shifts occur effortlessly, leading the listener on a beautiful stroll through the park. The album is book ended by vocal tracks. The opening song, “Still Doin’ It,” featuring yU, serves as a nice prologue, with a gentle groove established with bass, congas, and piano playing off of each other. The closing track, “Mattered Much,” featuring vocalist Olivier Daysoul on the chorus as Oddisee himself rhymes on the verses sound like it would be at home on a Foreign Exchange album. In between, we’re taken from quiet meditations to disco-funk and everything in between. A park can be a place for self reflection, a leisurely stroll, a family barbecue, or a romantic rendezvous, and Oddisee managed to compose an album that captures these things musically.

It’s nice to read a mission statement for an album, listen to it, and then concur that the musician accomplished their goals. With Rock Creek Park, Oddisee has done just that. It’s a very intimate experience, and one I’m glad that Oddisee shared with us.