In music, EP album releases are sort of like the “pre-fall” of runway. It is something new and not yet seen from the particular artist, yet it is also not a full-blown collection or a release, more of just a shorter preview of what is to come. Throughout fall we have seen some great EP’s circling around the scene, and wanted to share our top three favorites with you.
1. End of Daze - Dum Dum Girls
End of Daze is a fantastic way to keep the momentum going between Dum Dum Girls’ LP releases. They have taken inspiration from other places and made it their own. For example “Trees and Flowers” is a beautiful cover perhaps better than the original done by Scottish band Strawberry Switchblade. Then, “Lord Knows” is in some ways a modern day version of Joan Jett’s “Crimson and Clover,” complete with the same chord progression and longing emotions. Emotion all in all are vividly present in the simplistic rhymes and more complex figures of speech.
2. Hands of Glory – Andrew Bird
It has been quite a prolific year for singer/songwriter Andrew Bird. If you remember back to our April issue, Andrew Bird was our “Listen” of the month for our ongoing iPad feature “Watch, Read, Listen.” Now, just eight months later, Bird is back in action with an 8-song EP. Hands of Glory is definitely not a sacrifice of quality for quantity – Bird proves with this venture he is capable of achieving both. The EP was developed at Bird’s western Illinois barn, which lies along the Mississippi river, and this is exactly where the album sounds like one should be while listening to it, what with the acoustic guitar plucking and fiddles. As always, we appreciate Bird’s diversity and talent in instrument choice. Top tracks are “White Horses” and “Railroad Bill” thought it sounds quite unlike the Andrew Bird we are used to.
3. Ghost EP – Sky Ferreira
Another emerging female artist, the young Sky Ferreira is making a name for herself among an industry that seems to be saturated with kickass female talent lately. Discovered at the young of fourteen, the now 20 year old Ferreira has been busy releasing seven singles, seven music videos, and two EPS with a full length album currently in the works. Her most recent EP, Ghost is a delightful, five-song journey through a range of subject matter and style. It seems to alternate between her traditional upbeat, electro-pop, such as the Goldfrapp-eque song “Lost in My Bedroom,” as well as softer, more emotional songs such as “Sad Dream.”
All in all, EPs are a great option if you are just starting out exploring an artist. You do not have to commit to listening to an entire album, but you can get a good feel for whether or not the band is one you would be into. So, we encourage you to check out these releases, and let us know your thoughts!
Author: Charlotte Pratt Photo Credits 1, 2, 3
