Fearful Earful - Shadowside

Fearful Earful

Shadowside
self-released; 2022

3.7 out of 5

By Jamie Funk
​

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Fearful Earful is the lifelong music fanatic Jonathan Olson. Olson recently released a three-song EP entitled Shadowside. Apparently some of the initial ideas of the songs started over a decade ago.

“Playlist” is the opener and is pretty straightforward power pop and pop punk. The song contains heavily distorted guitars, driving drums and infectious vocals. It’s a dynamic song and Olson does a good job creating crescendos and builds which eventually lead to an explosive chorus. The song seems to be about a stranger/romantic interest who AirDrops a playlist to him. It felt like a clever and contemporary way to sing about love in the modern age. Olson sings “Hey babe Your playlist is on my mind / And I think You AirDropped me a sign / Oh, if I may be so bold, mon chéri /  Fate shuffled you next to me / Now we're on repeat, endlessly.”

“Parasitic Love” sounds like a different artist. This is a synth heavy ballad with no signs of power pop or rock. Apparently, the voicemail that shows up in the beginning of the song was from a person he knew. The music contains electronic sounding drum kits, a bunch of synths and pads. It’s a heartfelt song but I had no idea what to expect next. 

My personal favorite song was the title track “Shadowside.” It’s got more of an “indie” rock vibe. Olson explains “the song is the EP's manifesto, an indie pop song ending with a vocal sample of an interview with Carl Jung.” I thought the bass line drove the song along with the drums. The guitar work was solid as well with a defined and memorable chorus. There are a number of well developed sections with the song coming to its best part when he sings “Even though you feel alone / Inside your mind / You and I / So as below / Will rise above in time.”

It’s been my experience that music EP’s and albums that have taken years to make can sound very piecemeal. That’s what you have here. Each one of these songs stands on its own but combined it gives you no real sense of the signature sound of the artist or if he has one. Some artists do this as a way to show different sides to their sound but at some point having something people recognize within your sound is beneficial. 

I liked all of these songs but in my opinion I hope his LP leans more towards the sound of “Shadowside.” The artist seems to be off to good start with his single "Save Your Soul." There’s a lot of talent coming from Olson and I look forward to hearing more in the not too distant future.

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