Falling on the more sophisticated end of the psychedelic spectrum, French group Odessey & Oracle create harmonically dense and ornately arranged chamber pop that traverses Baroque music, early electronic composition, and Tropicalia. Similar to indie pop forebears like the High Llamas and Stereolab, the band's progressive mindset is combined with their fondness for retro sounds which can be heard on highly regarded releases like 2017's Speculatio and 2020's Crocorama. Formed in Lyon by Fanny L'héritier (vocals, electric piano, analog synths, cello), Alice Baudoin (electric harpsichord, analog synth, recorder, vocals), and Guillaume Médioni (guitars, dobro, banjo, vocals), Odessey & Oracle took their name from the title of the Zombies' 1968 chamber pop masterpiece complete with its misspelling of the world "odyssey". Surrounding the core trio on their 2014 debut was a group of like-minded collaborators whose contributions led the release to be called Odessey & Oracle & the Casiotone Orchestra. The album presented a cornucopia of stylistic elements and a dazzling array of sounds with an emphasis on unusual chord changes and rich, synth-heavy sound. Three years later, their follow-up, 2017's Speculatio, was ultimately a more focused collection, though no less complex in arrangement, and again featured a number of guest players joining L'héritier, Baudoin, and Médioni, whose own multi-instrumental talents could furnish a small orchestra. Unlike their mostly English-sung debut, Speculatio was almost entirely in French with each member trading vocals. For their third album, Odessey & Oracle focused more exclusively on their vintage synth element, using only synthesizers and keyboards from the '60s and '70s. Released in early 2020, Crocorama continued to expand the band's approach and sound. ~ Timothy Monger