Wistful electronica treads a path fraught with danger, with pompous self-indulgence looming to the left and a sheer drop into waves of boring nothingness to the right. Fortunately it’s a path Austel could walk with her eyes closed and still make it to the promised land at the end where total sonic immersion is offset by sincere lyrics.
The debut EP from the Devon-born and London-based artist follows three well-received singles and tackles the break up of a long-term relationship and the emotional turmoil which followed.
On the opening track Austel sings of ghosts in her head that cannot speak, but the record does an incredible job of giving these gossamer beings a voice. An emotional honesty seeps through every track, each a gentle reverie fogging the glass of a rain-streaked window with delicate layers of tender electronica. ‘Ghosts’ has that rare ability to mute real life and sink it into slow motion, catching the listener pleasantly off-guard and paving the way for the ripples to grow into whirlpools. ‘Crows’ channels Massive Attack in its opening samples and holds onto that trip-hop feel before building to a thrilling climax which is revisited in the haunting ‘Lost at Home’ which sends shivers down the spine at its apex, the most obviously cathartic moment on an intensely personal record.
Following these overflowing emotions ‘Anaesthesia’ feels like a softer touch, sparser than before and spotting with the last drops of the thunderstorm that came before it; the track offers rays of hope and happiness which come to fruition in the optimistic and at times even playful closer ‘Hours’. The record might comes in at well under 20 minutes but it soundtracks an emotional journey at least 100 miles long – it’s truly captivating.
Words - Joe Ponting