Songs We Love: ODESZA, 'Line Of Sight'

Ever get the nagging feeling that catastrophic danger is looming and the world could end at any minute? Sure you do, it's 2017! Unsettling as it may be, some would say the only way to get through it is by sticking together. In ODESZA's new, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi music video, that's exactly the takeaway.

The video, which accompanies the electronic duo's euphoric new single "Line Of Sight," makes more of a social statement than a political one. A boy wakes up alone in a world of chaos and is forced to find his way. He wanders through lush jungle ruins and abandoned factories while enemy robots and alien spaceships wreak havoc in the distance, before eventually stumbling upon a stray robot who, like him, had been left behind. Finding strength in numbers (or, perhaps more symbolically, common ground), the two join forces, hit the road and agree to take care of each other in the face of impending doom.

Harrison Mills, who's one-half of ODESZA with Clayton Knight, says the video illustrates the power of hope and connection. "We may feel like we don't have control over a situation, whether it's technology or government or growing up," he tells NPR, "but through unlikely friendships, we can better understand each other and bridge the gap."

The narrative was inspired by classic childhood adventure stories like The Jungle Book and Robinson Crusoe, but with a supernatural spin. "We loved that [director Dan Brown] used such a far-out setting to communicate such relevant, relatable emotions," says Sean Kusanagi, the Seattle electronic duo's longtime creative director. "Ultimately, the song is about having to find your way in a scary world."

Like most of ODESZA's songs, "Line Of Sight" is driven by powerful synths and dramatic chord progressions that lend themselves to cinematic treatments. But it's also one of the duo's most vocal-heavy tracks yet, with distinct verses, triumphant choruses and delightfully catchy hooks. While Mills and Knight never really identified with EDM's subwoofer set — their debut album, Summer's Gone, helped usher in a new wave of indie electronic acts that employed a softer touch — they're billing their forthcoming LP, A Moment Apart, as their most melodic, introspective and mature. Says Kusanagi: "They're not the post-college kids anymore ... They've been touring non-stop for the past four years, meeting new people and growing a lot. It represents a maturing."

A Moment Apart comes out Sept. 8 via Counter Records.

Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.