Kevin Bronson on April 30th, 2018

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Conquering the world one single at a time? Maybe. Or maybe Rebeca Arango is just seeping into our consciousness incrementally, as if she were already there. The singer-songwriter, who with producer Grey Goon releases music under the name Oddnesse, last week unveiled her seventh single since the project debuted in late 2016. While it’s not uncommon in the pop world to focus on singles instead of EPs or albums, Oddnesse deals cerebral dream-pop — serious business, except at the times she seems to take an outsider’s look at her own creations.

Of the new song “Trust,” she says: “This song causes me both glee and embarrassment. I’m aware, it may be experienced as, a) watered down New Age nonsense in a neat millennial package, or b) a grand ol’ time.

“The first four bars are for meditation. What follows is for your imaginary pleasure. A song is a frivolous way to collect your thoughts and experiences, but the results are pretty.”

Self-deprecation aside, “Trust” is actually a lifeline for navigating the murky waters of doubt and self-loathing. Yes, it’s pretty, but not Pollyanna. Consider this:

“I’ve long been fascinated by belief and belonging,” Arango explains. “I’ve struggled with both from a young age. Dozens of gray hairs later I still don’t ‘know’ what I believe. I’m at peace in a world with more questions you can’t answer than answers you can’t question. But after a lifetime of overthinking, I’ve found that optimism is the only sensible way to proceed.”

||| Stream: “Trust”