Pitch Perfect
  • Pitch Perfect
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

EP emsley - Under Belly

11/7/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
EP Emsley 

Under Belly
self-released; 2013

4.0 out of 5

By Sean Dennison
West Yorkshire-based EP Emsley is living the dream. He kicked around government institutions for a while after playing in punk-inspired bands for years. Well, that didn't bode well so Emsley declared himself insane and spent some time in a better place. He got out, attempted to build a flying saucer and when that went south tried his luck with a government gig again. Again his situation soured, and here we are with Under Belly. I don't know if this is the start of something great or the end of another dead-end journey, but the music is pretty damn good.

On this record EP Emsley plays whimsical, jangly bedroom pop with noticeable nods to psychedelic rock. I guess recent acts like Tame Impala and TOY are decent comparisons, though Emsley keeps things simple in terms of composition rather than go for baroque, which lends more punch to his fanciful lyrics. The music is also fuzzy as hell. Production is very sharp in regards to the string arrangements, while percussion is muted, and however it's done, it reminds me an awful of The Orange Alabaster Mushroom, words I'm very glad to have finally said.

A lot of this makes me think of the word fairytale for some reason especially on songs like "Wait, (What Did I Do?)" and "Rainbow Child.” "Painting with the colors of life / She’s keeping all the colors alive / She’s a Rainbow Child," is hippy, drippy and I love it. These are exactly the sorts of sun-dazed daydreams our parents gave up on, the kind we need more of. Emsley constructs songs like a baker decorates cake, very thick guitar work with dashes of more exotic instruments. Sitar-sounding action is woven throughout the album, as well as the harmonica on a few of the tracks

.There are some missteps, like the overly long instrumental "Slough Station Freight Train Blues," and I guess "808 Late" is meant to evoke something like a wall-of-sound swathed in light keyboard strokes with grinding guitar harmonies but in execution it's a hot mess of a song. Still though, little accidents like these are blanked, even tipped, by works such as the rickety good (sad) time of "Lost Cities" and the rustic pop of "Siren."


I'm digging this. EP Emsley's backstory is weird and the music is appropriately eclectic. Could he be the Syd Barrett we didn't realize we needed?
Reverbnation
twitter
1 Comment
E.P Emsley link
11/7/2013 12:12:57 pm

I'm not sure of the etiquette here but is it good form to comment on my own, (paid for), review? I'm going to do it anyway.

Thank you scribe Sean Dennison for such a brilliant and imaginative piece of writing. From the ridiculous, but truthful, information I supplied, you seem to have captured a piece of my soul!
Your negatives I take on board and sort of knew them anyway.
The orange Alabaster Mushroom' is new to me but sounds too fascinating not to investigate further.
By the way, 'Roads All Narrow' as featured here in the Band Camp player is a whole other album. Never knowingly "linear", I released three albums in 2013, so be sure to check out the other two too!

Cheers,

E.P Emsley

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by pitchperfect158
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
© Pitch Perfect 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Pitch Perfect
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact