It is a perfect day to get outside and clean up my garden. I have big hopes of making a sustainable garden for myself this year but I’m procrastinating– I won’t lie. Maybe it’s the fear of finding a bunch of worms or other creepy-crawly things in the neglected garden or its fear of an early first sunburn of the year, regardless, I feel like my time is better spent checking out some more new music so let’s just do that and jump into this new EP from Elvis Batchild.
“Can’t Go Out (Can’t Stay Home)” gets this quick four-song EP started off right. It starts off with an almost mysterious guitar until intriguing vocals come in. There’s a super cool sound in the vocals of this opening track. They almost have a bit of a reggae vibe but they don’t quite settle completely into that style. The song really hits about a minute in and I was hit with a filthy sense of swagger that was so perfect for my sunny Sunday. There’s no denying the energy in this opening track but there’s also something very calm and chill about it. I was struck by this opening track and am so stoked to see where this quick journey will take me.
The second track on this album, “Bad Dream” is the longest at just over five minutes long but it really didn’t feel it. Like in the first track, there’s almost a reggae vibe to portions of this track but I’m also getting strong jam-band vibes. I’ll be honest, this wasn’t quite where I saw this EP going just based on the band name and cover. I was thinking it would be something more in your face and almost aggressive for some reason but I was absolutely loving the blanket of calm that “Bad Dream” and Elvis Batchild’s overall sound was bringing to my house. There are moments throughout this track that left me completely lost in my thoughts. Hazy guitars with a strong drumbeat to keep the song going really set a mood that, again, was so perfect for a Sunday and really any day I just want to chill out and take a moment. I don’t know how they did it but this five-minute song felt like it was done in just a minute.
“Uninvited” was instantly a favorite of mine. There’s something a bit more upbeat about this track that instantly had my head nodding along to the beat. The amount of swagger in this track is staggering. It’s something that I felt in the first two tracks but it really comes to fruition in “Uninvited”. Although still very much a distinct sound that refuses to be put into just one genre-box, there’s something a bit more commercial feeling about this one. Sometimes that is a bad thing but not in the case of Elvis Batchild. Their sound is unique and deserves to be heard and I think this is the track that will do it and lure people into their unique and fascinating world with ease.
This quick EP closes out with “Oswego” which almost acted as a dimming of the lights. A bit slower and more love-song-esque, this final track shows a more sensitive side of Elvis Batchild in the perfect light. It still has a distinct sound and vibe and vocals still had me absolutely captivated but it was a completely different sound than the previous songs. Although part of me wanted this release to have a super in-your-face ending, I liked the way it just faded out and left me alone with my thoughts. Even though the cats were yelling at me because they thought it was time for their dinner (which it is not), I felt relaxed and ready to take on the rest of my Sunday night (whether or not that includes cleaning out my garden has yet to be decided).
My Favorite Track(s): “Uninvited”
For Fans Of: Chill reggae-esque vibes; Captivating Vocals
Daydream-ability: 6 out of 10
What My Cats Thought Of It: Both cats screamed for dinner from the kitchen
How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 7.2 out of 10
My Overall Rating: 7.4 out of 10
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