Yeah, yeah. I promised to get better at doing album reviews but it seems as if I have only gotten worse. What can I say? Life has gotten in the way but this stack of amazing music to check out keeps growing so although I have a million emails to respond to right now, it feels like a good time for some new music so let’s dig into speakeazie’s new EP ‘Bootlegger Blood’ and see what it’s all about!
Before even hitting play on this EP, I was in love. The first song is titled “I’m a Wreck, Not A Queen” and to say that describes my current life status in an almost perfect way would be an understatement. The tracks eases in slowly and peacefully. Ambient scratching and fuzzy noises flow underneath a fairly upbeat and ear-wormy beat that takes over and makes way for speakeazie’s voice. I instantly fell in love with the smooth yet energetic styling of the vocals. They are calming and instantly transported me away from the other open tabs on my computer showing the emails racking up. Although you could call the instrumentation in this opening track lo-fi, I feel like that description just does not do this opening track justice. The words in this track are clear and hit me right in the gut to the point where I felt like I was a bit in a daze until I was shaken back to life as the album moved on to “Ain’t Right For Your Praise”.
There’s a bit more going on throughout this second track when compared to the opening song but it still has that super cool almost jazzy lo-fi vibe that is clearly a trait of speakeazie. This was instantly a favorite of mine. From the recording quality to the way the sound seemed to ebb and flow between my speakers in a very dramatic yet perfect way, this song just really made me stop everything and just be one with the song. That sounds dramatic, I know but it’s something that I have been looking for lately and just haven’t been able to find. Although I am sitting on my couch writing this review with a cup of coffee sitting in front of me, this song had me wandering the streets of New York City and just taking it all in in my mind. Not sure what I mean by that? Just listen to the track.
Although all five tracks on this EP seem long when you look at the track listing, none of the tracks seemed to drag on too long or anything like that and the third song, “Don’t Go Anywhere” is no exception. This song seems to feature the power of speakeazie’s vocals a bit more than the previous songs. Don’t get me wrong, this song still has that chill almost lo-fi vibe to it but I feel like the vocals just come with a bit more strength and soul than previously heard.
I love the old-timey instrumentation clip that kicks off “I’m Crushed In His Gaze” and adored how it shifted suddenly yet perfectly into yet another truly infectious beat before speakeazie comes in and takes this track away into her own world. Although I am absolutely settled into the sound that is speakeazie, I still found myself being completely swept off of my feet with every word performed in this truly interesting and unique track.
My emails are racking up. It has only been around twenty minutes yet I have over thirty new emails. Deep down, I want to stay in speakeazie’s world forever but I knew that reality was going to be hitting in just under five minutes as the final track, “They Whisper Voodoo” took over my speakers. This entire EP is absolutely epic but something about the slow and steady pace of this final track just really drives that point home. Although I would have loved to hear a more upbeat track as an ending here, I loved the way this final song really eased me back into the reality that is my Wednesday. I may be heading back into my own workaholic world but I will absolutely be taking a piece of speakeazie with me as I let this EP play through a few more times before moving on to something else new!
My Favorite Track(s): “Ain’t Right For Your Praise”
For Fans Of: Lo-Fi Vibes With An Undeniable Sense of Energy; Meaningful Vocals
Mosh-ability: 1 out of 10
What My Cats Thought Of It: Artie slept on the couch; Autumn slept upstairs
How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 7 out of 10
My Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
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Listen to ‘Bootlegger Blood’ here!
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