Girl at the Rock Shows

A debut release is important. It sets the tone for a band. I mean, don’t get me wrong, bands can change their style and vibe all they want. Whatever style a debut release is in isn’t necessarily the style that a band is locked into but, at the same time, I feel like it really sets the stage for a band. You can tell from a debut release if the band has “it” and, judging by Cloudage’s debut self-titled EP, they absolutely have “it”.

This quick four-song EP kicks off with “Open”. Although it’s dark up here in Minneapolis as it’s already 6 PM, this song shined as bright as a summer sun. There’s just something so perfectly jangly about the opening track but what really hooked me was the lyrics. Vocalist and lyricist Reid Millar has a way with words and that becomes clear in this opening song. The bright and sunny disposition of this song is juxtaposed perfectly by almost darkened DIY styled vocmials. They have a definite edge to them but there’s also something extremely approachable about the delivery. I loved the little twist that these words gave an already stellar song. To say that this band had me wrapped around their fingers by the end of this first song is definitely an understatement.

“Ad-Rock You’re So H” is the second track on this EP and, although I found the song title confusing and almost mysterious, I found this song to be solid and a perfectly anthemic track that is absolutely worthy of the daily playlist of your life. Again, you heard Cloudage’s instantly catchy vibrations in this song and get that juxtaposition of bright instrumentation with darker vocals. This song is sadly the shortest song on the album at just under three minutes but I love the composition that Cloudage is able to fit into this short song. There are very punk moments with shouted vocals that make you want to raise your fist to the words followed by more almost standard indie-pop beats and bops. All of these continue to pull you into Cloudage’s world and, if I may be so bold, it’s a world that you never want to leave.

Third up is “The Sweetest Tastes More Bitter”. I feel like just based on the title of this song, I knew to expect something moody which I knew was within Cloudage’s wheelhouse but I don’t think I expected this song to hit me as hard as it did. A lush and dreamy intro ushers you into a world of pure and raw emotions. You get that emotion from the guitar work, the vocals, hell, even the drums add a sense of emotion to this song and it’s deafening. Although this song isn’t fast, there’s this sense of energy to it that will leave you completely lost in this song and your own thoughts at the same time. There were moments throughout this track where the vocals really reminded me a bit of The Front Bottoms but that’s not the best comparison here. I really only got that feeling due to the almost diary-reading like style of the words and it was a huge selling point for me.

“Stay Pure” ends ‘Cloudage EP’ on a perfect and poignant note. Another more slow and steady track when compared to the opening two, I loved how, although this release is only four songs, you get to see a whole new side of this band with this final track. It’s more loving, more tender, almost apathetic in a way. Again, it was Reid’s vocals that had me hanging onto every word but that doesn’t mean that this could have been a solo album. The band adds a sense of delicacy to the otherwise painfully raw vocals. Add an absolutely epic crescendo in this track and you are left with a true masterpiece. As you wrap up this listening session, just remember the words of this final track– “Stay pure”. It’s right there in the title and it’s a message that we all need to remember as we take on this new year.

A debut album says everything about a band and this debut EP from Toronto-based Cloudage speaks louder than my words ever could. What a stunning release that will make you feel everything from angst to love to, well, all of the emotions under the sun.

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