It's not often you hear something so vibrant and invigorating, with obvious style influences but certainly a contemporary feel. Ephemerals have achieved just that on their new album Nothin Is Easy, not just a slice but a whole cake of pure neo-soul. You also get a velvety voice packed with heart and emotion, gracefully intertwined with tidy brass arrangements and some feisty backing vocals. As I sit reflecting on the music's power, I feel like I've been taken on an ecstatic tour of zesty surprise, and feel negativity and pessimism wilt away into dust.
'Call It What You Want' starts with a guitar intro that sounds lost in time with it's precise retro feel, before the buoyant punch of the vocals and brass enter at the chorus. 'Easy Ain't Nothin' is a great vocal effort, with a typically soulful melody harking back to the 1960s. 'The Oligarch' is a perfect example of an instrumental where the brass, guitar and organ are having a fantastic, romping orgy, taking jamming to the next level. 'Six Days A Week' builds and soars into another great solo performance, and 'I'm Your Man' packs total pure soul and more.
The criticism I give to this album is that there is nothing new here. There is little originality or innovation, and you could say that this is a more polished and slicker version of classic soul albums of the past. It could do with a bit more novelty, as the groove it has is hooked to the past.
This is still a great neo-soul album. It has a level of consistency that should be a template for all music, and despite not have too much originality its a very absorbing sound for what it is.
Rating - 8/10
http://ephemerals.bandcamp.com/album/nothin-is-easy
No comments:
Post a Comment