EPOCH

Wyndham Earls debut lp in the artists own words is a mix of hip hop, prog and Jazz.

Track One Enter The Behemoth opens with tremolo guitar lines fading in and out as hard hitting drums, deep sparse bass, piano and wailing synth are added. Midway through there is a breakdown then everything comes back slower yet stronger. A powerful opener earning its neat name.

Track Two, The Watcher is good but regular good. The song to me feels like a more generic lofi track then the rest of the songs. Like I said, still a good song but if it wasn't on the album I wouldn't listen to it. On the album it works well with its chill saxophone lead and equally chill synths laying down a solid tune that I don't skip.

Track Three, Concentric Circles kicks off with dusty guitar lines that are quickly joined by the ensemble to head into a layered guitar lead beat. About midway through there is a break driven by hypnotic guitar that then takes the song to grander pastures courtesy of an ethereal synth lead.

Track Four, Night Of The Hunter begins with rhythmic strings, relaxed lead sax and subdued percussion. At around two minutes and forty seconds Guitar takes the spotlight with a reserved coolness. Soon the song heads to a new marimba driven beat with string having a shot at lead. Towards the songs end guitar takes the reigns as flute and vocals samples float about.

Track Five, Shards Of Light is a minute long interlude of E Piano and little touches of harmonica lines along with found sounds. It's a nice interlude, I wish there was more keyboard on the album, oh well next time.

Track Six, Bridges: Buildings opens with with thumb piano that is mixed up by hard guitar which is abruptly subsumed by thumb piano and bitcrushed percussion which is replaced by regular drums as vocal samples are added. At around midway the song gains a cinematic grandeur as synths and guitar come to the forefront. In the songs last minute it becomes stripped down then build back up with fretless bass at the helm. This takes the song to its closing synth pad hit.

Track Seven, Bracken begins with various objects being struck which is gradually overpowered by a slow yet strong beat. After establishing the beat in its full majesty a piano lead takes the spotlight and takes the song to a gratifying finish.

Track Eight, The Calm & The Storm starts like the name suggests, calmly. Halfway through there is a break which heads into the storm of sawlike guitar riffing, snapping drums and crunchy guitar working below. Like Enter The Behemoth, The Calm & The Storm earns its moniker.

Track 9, Crossing Bridges is the sole song with actual singling. Regal acoustic guitar chords drive alongside drums as oohs dance with a distant male voice. For its closer the drums fade as the guitar and bass play together until the drums return alongside a harmonica for a strong finish.

Overall this is a great album that delivers what it says it does. I would consider this album Prog Lofi as I think that sums the album up pretty well, it resembles Lofi Hip Hop (there's vinyl crackle!) yet with ambitions beyond 1 minute long beats. It's very modern and in my humble opinion something fresh.

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