Single Review: Ozone

Ozone is the latest single from Wellington-based band Corduroy., and is taken from their forthcoming EP, Halftime Oranges. Stylistically it is hitting into many bases, from disco and big soul to soft jazz and even some rap, all designed to get the listener into the groove and hopefully up on the dance floor. It starts with some beautiful bass, gentle and melodic, and this stays at the heart of the song throughout, and then we get a blast of brass, and the band are into something which is classic late Seventies. Hannah comes in with her sultry vocals which are packed full of soul and emotion, and we get a real hit of Motown, with the brass adding some awesome horns, while the guitar and keyboards move in and out, sometimes coming to the fore but often just drifting at the back, ready to come in at the right time.

I must admit to not being too sure of the rap section (and anyone who says “Hammer Time” is obviously not expecting to be taken too seriously), but the way it breaks into the song and then leaves again is certainly effective, ensuring we pay even closer attention to the last section. What makes this really work is a combination of three factors, namely a song which gets the listener invested, a superb arrangement which is busy yet also full of space (with judicious use of effects which work incredibly well, love the cockerel) and then a singer who is in total control throughout with a voice which promises so much and consistently delivers. Music to move to.