FEATURE: Short But (Very) Sweet: 2020’s Best E.P.s So Far

FEATURE:

Short But (Very) Sweet

IN THIS PHOTO: Holly Humberstone

2020’s Best E.P.s So Far

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AS much as I love an album…

IN THIS PHOTO: Do Nothing/PHOTO CREDIT: Adrian Vitelleschi-Cook

I do have a very soft spot for E.P.s, as I think they offer artists something different. Rather than commit to a whole album, you can focus on a four or five-song release, and it can be a good way of getting material out there that did not fit on an album or, rather than wait until inspiration strikes, an artist can put out some music and please their fans. I wonder whether people consider E.P.s as highly as albums and give them as much time. I really love the concept and, when we do not have physical singles anymore, I really like the idea of having a shorter release; a very different experience to a long-playing record. This year has seen some great E.P.s arrive, and I want to put out the best ten. It was hard to whittle them down, but here are the very best of the year so far. I am sure we will see a lot more great E.P.s arrive this year and, considering the quality that has already arrived, that is something that…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Little Simz/PHOTO CREDIT: Linda Nylind/The Observer

WE can all look forward to.

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Holly Humberstone – Falling Asleep at the Wheel

Review:

“One wounded pop gem after another, the subdued title track carefully paints a picture of an unfulfilling, one-sided relationship across a delicate keyboard chime. It builds towards a haunting, fuzzy synth lead and series of warped handclaps, yet her crystalline tones never disappear into the mix. ‘Drop Dead’, meanwhile, is a moody ballad reminiscent of Lorde’s ‘Still Sane’ and shares the pattern of ambient, barely-there beats as gently throbbing rhythms make their presence felt.

Lyrically, Humberstone is plain-spoken, exuding honesty and refreshing candour throughout the rousing ‘Vanilla’, “We coast until we hit a red light/Truth is I have my best nights without you”, so goes the unshakeable bridge atop twitchy electronic warbles. There’s also a hint of Sky Ferreira’s understated grunge spirit in the breezy vocal flourishes that pepper the slow-burning ‘Overkill’, an airy, yet secretly confident ode to the woozy highs of falling for someone new: “Don’t wanna be a buzzkill/If I’m coming on strong”, she deadpans, emotionally razed by what may have come before.

Soul-baring and candid, ‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel’ is a deeply affecting collection of songs that solely document Humberstone’s own personal fears and emotions, but the power and grace of her sentiments are sure to resonate universally” – NME

The Japanese House – Chewing Cotton Wool

Review:

“There’s a new sense of sureness in ‘Dionne’, too, something that’s echoed throughout the rest of ‘Chewing Cotton Wool’. Previous single, ‘Something Has To Change’, with its sing-a-long chorus and hand-clapped beats, is a pop smash cloaked in swirling synths. The minimalist title track sees Bain examine the memory of a lost loved one (“She’s the sound of your own voice / She’s someone else’s drink”) as electronic sounds trickle in the background. ‘Sharing Beds’, built around subtle piano lines and vocoded vocals, evokes The 1975’s glitchier moments.

‘Good At Falling’ was filled with gut-punch moments (on ‘We Talk all the Time’ Bain honestly states: “We don’t fuck anymore / But we talk all the time so it’s fine”), and her lyricism shines again here. Take ‘Dionne’’s incisive assessment of a relationship: “I’ve been thinking about / My storyline / And how your past becomes your present if it’s always on your mind”.

‘Chewing Cotton Wool’ is an elevation of Bain’s sound. It’s a short collection, but one brings the last few years of music of The Japanese House full circle, while pushing to the future with its lush sounds and huge, radio-ready hooks. Short but sweet, it’s another indication of the avant-pop maven Bain’s poised to become” – NME

Little Simz – Drop 6

Release Date: 6th May

Label: AGE 101

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6QrGmXbUtjyekuW83gXBBb?si=yqrkwBz0SmmBVvGdtT64Qg

Key Cut: might bang might not

Review:

“Totalling a swift 12 minutes, a sense of urgency and immediacy propels one track into the next. From the pulsating bass of opener ‘might bang, might not’, Simz’ flow is as tight and precise as ever. It oozes with energy. “I got one life and I might just live it” she spouts over a swaggering hip-hop beat on “one life might live”, easily the EP’s catchiest track. ‘you should call mum’ takes a more contemplative turn, with lines like “bored out of my mind / how many naps can I take?” painting a painfully relatable picture of quarantine. Indeed, the whole EP feels like a snapshot of a specific time and headspace for the London rapper. Where Grey Area was more reflective and tackled broader themes in its lyrics, Drop 6 is rooted in the present. As she repeats in the opening track: “this is for the now”.

But behind the self-assured delivery is the hint of vulnerability that makes Little Simz so likeable. Unlike many rappers, she tells her stories unhindered by ego and bravado. At times it feels like a stream of consciousness or a chat with a friend, particularly on freestyling track ‘damn right’ – which is reminiscent of her earlier mixtapes. Recorded entirely at home, the finished product is naturally nowhere near as polished as Grey Area. But perfection clearly wasn’t the intention here. The stripped-back, DIY production only adds to its charm.

Musically too, Simz is up to form. Instrumentals range from jazz-infused basslines to old-school garage beats, showing off her genre-mixing abilities. Closing track ‘where’s my lighter’ veers furthest from the rest, featuring transcendent vocals from Alewya over a melancholic piano that concludes an otherwise fast-paced EP on a mellow, soulful note. Such musical range paired with powerful lyrics gives Drop 6 both style and substance. If this is what Little Simz can produce “when the world stops”, then we can only imagine what she’ll do when it starts turning again” – The Independent

Emma-Jean Thackray – Rain Dance

Review:

“Built out of her prior track “Rain Dance”, a 42-second mood piece from Thackray’s 2018 EP Ley Lines, “Rain Dance / Wisdom” broadens and blooms into a sprawling piece that pedestals the play of each member of her impressive band. “The track holds moments for each musician to shine,” explains Thackray, “and always goes down well live because it shows how well we improvise together. Lots of energy, brave moments of stillness, telepathic communication and awareness from being such a strong unit as a band.”

Because of that focus on multiple individual performances, “Rain Dance / Wisdom” traverses various dense phases, which are at the same time also freer and punchier than any of Thackray’s previous recordings. The track moves from serene keys and Thackray’s own solitary, steady trumpet into the kind of rhythmic, spiritual nu-jazz you'd expect from someone who's shared bills with Hutchings.

Lying underneath it all are synthesised textures that give the near-eight-minute track a huge, cinematic feel worthy of an artist who's a DJ and producer as well as a composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and bandleader” – The Line of Best Fit (review of Rain Dance / Wisdom)

Jockstrap – Wicked City

Review:

“As opener ‘Robert’ proclaims, “I am really impressed.” Wicked City shows Jockstrap reaching their feelers outwards to the boundaries of what’s expected of them and simply pushing straight through. ‘The City’ starts off deceptively melodic before breaking down into what could be a different song entirely. It tracks the sad realisation that the possibilities offered to you by the city are a false promise. Singer Georgia Ellery’s meandering lament becomes looped over a cutting atonal synth, and all illusion of softness is gone. Throughout the EP, there’s something crooner-like about Jockstrap’s chord progressions and intonations; the soft arpeggiated piano on ‘Yellow In Green’ feels like a smoky jazz bar, before the introduction of Mort Garson-esque synths renders it something else entirely. Closer ‘City Hell’ is a swirling, vocoded jazzy epic of a song, almost like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in its dramatic scope. At every turn, Jockstrap seem to have something else up their sleeve that make them that bit less typical.

For a sophomore EP, Wicked City packs the oomph of a debut. It’s bold and declarative, while also retaining a sense of mystery. Listening to it, you have the feeling that Jockstrap are nowhere near the bottom of their bag of tricks” – Loud and Quiet

Do Nothing – Zero Dollar Bill

Review:

“As Zero Dollar Bill rolls through, it would be reductive to say that Do Nothing fit alongside any of these peers directly, as exciting as each band may be. Fontaines are more poetic and serious and Squid convey a sense of surreal frenzy, whereas Do Nothing live firmly in overcast reality. the Nottingham band amalgamate drips of Jarvis Cocker’s wry witticisms, James Murphy’s singular voice and David Byrne’s wackiness.

The music exhibited on Zero Dollar Bill is not bombastic in any way and none of these tracks will ever be considered party anthems. What this release nails, however, is the ingredient that makes it so easy to revisit; those little flickers of vulnerability amongst the cold, detached commentary in each song on the EP.

You may not hear it on the first, or even the tenth listen, but once – maybe twice – in each of these tracks, Bailey seems to break this mindfully-crafted character. Whether it’s in the first pre-chorus of ‘Fits’, or in the unravelled climax to ‘Contraband’ as he pleads “Would you still love me if my hair falls out? / Would you make sure that I don’t do too much now?”.

These tiny, subtle payoffs are the active ingredient in tying this collection of songs together and making sense of Do Nothing. This band are all of us; exasperated and frustrated and – whether we showcase it often or not – a little bit vulnerable” – RIOT

The Lazy Eyes – EP1

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Review:

“‘Cheesy Love Song’ – fittingly titled – closes as a bells-and-whistles piano ballad. The song flits between pastiche and sincerity, building on the outlandish playfulness of seventies revivalists The Lemon Twigs. Such dizzying romance also bears stark similarity to the sweetened Lennon imitations of Tobias Jesso Jr – it’s all in the execution though. There’s a maturity that suggests this band have been working hard on building on those influences, not solely depending on them.

Dusting off such well-loved old-school sounds can be risky for any band but The Lazy Eyes don’t dwell on imitating the past for too long at any point here. Perhaps it’s their youthful drive – but with an array of psychedelic soundscapes, they seamlessly find fresh joy in old methods. This vibrant introduction easily lives up to some of those heroes they’ve been compared to against – though they’re rightfully too busy having good time to worry about such expectations” – NME      

Loose Fit – Loose Fit

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Release Date: 3rd April

Label: FatCat Records

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7GkchZpYKA0r8DnzRVBLNg?si=ML2vUYpCRCya1VX3twVRMA

Buy: https://loosefit.bandcamp.com/releases

Key Cut: REFLUX  

Review:

“Lead single ‘Pull the Lever’ opens the EP strong – a dark, moody post-punk banger crackling with energy, with thumping disco drums and a bassline so catchy it’s frankly evil. The song barely needs anything else – the guitar is used for texture, filling in the space around the central bassline, and a saxophone creeps in only very occasionally. Basically, they know when they’re onto a good thing, and how to give it the room it needs. A good sign for this band going forward.

Second track ‘Riot’ ups the tempo considerably, a cathartic outpouring of nervous energy with the rhythm section still very much right at the forefront of the sound, with a massive yo-yoing bassline sat behind it. Next track ‘Reflux’ slows things down considerably and sees singer Anna Langdon whip the sax out again. The band apparently formed by Langdon and drummer Kaylene Milner after they bonded over their love of experimental music – an influence you can hear best on this track.

The other single from this EP, ‘Black Water’, goes a little weirder again, as Langdon repeatedly sings to “a comforting shadow,” like a high-minded lyrical mantra, before bringing it crashing back down to earth by singing, “with you in the car park,” in just about the most Australian way possible. Final track ‘Delete’ does things a little bit differently, indulging in a bit more of a stop-start structure as she sings, “I will delete you.”

The EP is a great mission statement for Loose Fit – a band who clearly know their way around a banger. ‘Pull the Lever’ in particular is a huge track; one of the best songs of the year so far, and promises big things from this exciting young band” – VultureHound

 Cayley Thomas - How Else Can I Tell You?

Review:

“The album’s opener, “Two Minds”, kicks the record off on a sunny guitar riff and a touch of horns around the track’s midpoint. In her wistful vibrato, Thomas reflects on the idea of indecision and the fleetingness of time when she sings, “Isn’t it already too late?/ Everybody’s finished the race/ And you’re just startin’.” “Midnight Hours” shakes things up just slightly as the track affects a slightly darker, more noir-influenced tone in the music. Much of the track rides on a subtle, muted bassline with Thomas taking on a just slightly more ghostly soprano voice,  over-extending some notes to a near whisper pitch. “Sunshine”, appropriately enough, takes the record back into notably lighter territory as Thomas sings to those around us who shed much-needed light on our lives. “I sink a little deeper/ Draw the shades closed one more time/ But you bring the sunshine baby/ Clearin’ up a cloudy day,” sings Thomas, as the clouds eventually part on the track with a huge, shredding, Eagles-esque guitar solo. This album truly stands out on its closing track, however, as Thomas delivers a simple, yet undoubtedly heartwrenching tribute to her late brother on “In a While”. Through the filter of what sounds like a telephone receiver, Thomas, accompanied by only her guitar, reflects on a life cut short and the little reminders of him in daily life that make her write, “Forever and a day/ In my thoughts you’ll stay.”

This latest release from Cayley Thomas is tastefully simple, yet profoundly evocative. Each song is guided by the genuine emotion one can hear in her voice and backed up by simple and elegant lyricism and soothing musical accompaniment. She managed to give herself exactly enough space to be able to really reflect on and express an impressively wide range of emotions, while still remaining both concise and consistent on the album as a whole. This record is a textbook lesson on tight and effective songwriting to say the least” – Canadian Beats

Christine and the Queens - La vita nuova

Review:

“Her two previous albums were strong, but this EP is arguably Christine and the Queens’ (aka Heloise Letissier) best release to date, a distillation of the incisive and effervescent pop melodies that are a hallmark of all of her work. While it clocks in at just 22 minutes and six tracks (two of which are French and English-language versions of the same song, “I Disappear in Your Arms”), there’s nary a weak moment on the release. It kicks off with the mid-tempo single “People I’ve Been Sad” before picking up the pace with the French version of “Disappear.” She then brings the tempo it back down with the low-key “Mountains” and “Nada” before picking it up again to climax with the title track, a new wave-flavored collaboration with Polacheck that finds the American singer showing off her Italian while gorgeously entwining her voice with Letissier’s on the chorus.

Throughout, the EP is marked by Letissier’s vocal and songwriting cool — even when the tempos are faster and the energy level is high, there’s a certain effortless ease to her singing and the music. However, the same can’t be said for the 14-minute video that accompanies the EP, which is basically Letissier and her dancers moving dramatically through Paris’ gorgeously baroque Opéra Garnier to the accompaniment of the songs, finishing with a strange vampiric seduction between her and Polacheck on the title track.

While it makes for a rather incongruously intense accompaniment to the EP’s supreme chill, it also shows another side to Letissier’s rapidly developing talent” – Variety

Sam Liddicott