Album of the Day
Band: EEP
Album: Death of a Very Good Machine
Genre/s: Shoegaze/ DreamPop/ Indie
My album of the day is ‘Death of a Very Good Machine’ by EEP, who hail from El Paso, Texas, USA. I’ve already reviewed the first track of this album in a previous review. For that tune, ‘Hogar’, I will be writing a brand new review. As per my usual format, I review the album track by track and then at the end, they’ll be a number of links to it, so you can choose your preferred listening platform. With all that done, let’s go!
1. Hogar: An explosive start to the album, ‘Hogar’ blasts forth with solid, crunchy guitar riffs, drums and bass and almost immediately, the vocals fire in. This is a song that doesn’t keep still. The lyrics are in Spanish, but even if the listener doesn’t understand the meaning, the delivery of the voice and emotion is really apparent. Echoing the ambience of the music, the vocals are full of the warmest of sentiment. The track pauses for a second, as tension builds; sustained synths and plucked strings give way to the fiery drum rolls as the intensity of the full band explodes once again. ‘Hogar’ is the perfect way to start the album and grabs the listener’s attention.
2. Canal: A dreamlike intro on this track, as if phasing in and out of reality, keeps the listener on their toes. Then the drums, bass and guitar come in at a more relaxed tempo than the previous track. This track is ethereal, to complement the dreamlike intent/ phase in and out of reality in the short intro. The main vocal is complemented by a backing voice and both are far back in the mix, to effectively emphasise a sense of atmosphere. The track breaks, as a lone acoustic guitar shines through. Whispered vocals and implied bass, along with sound effects cascade in and out. It’s quite an experience listening on headphones. The full experimental prowess of EEP is demonstrated through the way this track meanders and flows.
3. Death of a Very Good Machine: I always really like it when bands name a song after the album it’s on, or, it could be an album after a song. For me, it creates a sense of cohesiveness and consistency in an album. The song ‘Death of a Very Good Machine’ is the perfect example of this. Shifting seamlessly from the last track to this, there are sustained effects and approximations of bell sounds and guitar ‘Piano wire’ type flourishes which melt into the main track. This tune is led by the drums and bass, as they busily stab and roll, the vocals and guitars weave and swirl. The drums drop out momentarily, as a wall of sustained guitars and multi-voices cross and phase throughout the mix, leaping from speaker to speaker.
4. When it was over: A laid back groove inhabits this track, with an almost blues-slide guitar effect, wrapped up in the dreamlike sustain and lush guitar licks. There’s a hint of vocals, which work like an instrument in their own way. The drums take more of a backseat, complementing what is going on in the fore. This tune has a more cinematic or soundtrack-like quality to it. I can imagine this tune used in a TV show or film to underpin an important scene. I do believe EEP completely have their own musical identity and style, but if I had to compare the band to anyone (in this track foremostly) it would be the 4AD DreamPop band, Cocteau Twins. I’m imagining this song at the end of side 1, it’s the fourth track and there’s four to go. What I mean by this, is that this track has an ‘almost finality’ to it. In the same way for instance, ‘The great gig in the sky’ by Pink Floyd on their album, ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ feels like the final track, but it’s not. There’s still another side to go. This is exactly the feeling I’m left with listening to ‘When it was over’. It has that depth of a last track, but there’s something there, indicating to the listener that there’s still more music to come....
5. Outlast You: ...and so charges in ‘Outlast You’; in my mind, the start of side 2. This tune has a drive to it, a forward motion, a notion of passion. The energy is similar to US Alternative Rock bands such as Dinosaur Jr. and Mudhoney, but also has a Glam-like swagger, which pre-Britpop bands like Suede were so adept in delivering. The vocals are almost choir-like. There’s the main vocal, answered by said ‘choir’. In this track, the guitar gets chance to shine as a lead instrument. In a part resembling a chorus, it sounds like synths are helping to underpin and complement the vocals. The guitar moves into a noisier, more experimental sound, whilst the vocals evolve and reinvent themselves continuously throughout the track. The way the tune builds is impressive, into a gnarling wall of sound, which breaks back into the tune. The beautiful but wraith-like vocals are quite haunting towards the end of the tune and help guide and push the tune towards it’s end.
6. Breathless: A calmer, more relaxed tone than the last tune heralds the start of ‘Breathless’. It has quite a groove to it, this being the beauty of EEP, everyone ‘gets a go’. This time the bass player gets a chance to construct an intricate sonic landscape. As a unit, EEP share the spotlight, each element, be it vocals, guitar, bass or drums, get a chance to guide a tune or part of a tune. The songs appear carefully selected and developed thoughtfully, do they complement each other. Guitars act more like backing singers to the main vocals, which although are perfectly encapsulated at the back of the mix are also seemingly at the fore. That’s a testament to the production and the mix. This is a nice, unhurried, poppy, yet experimental song, which pauses, almost as if for thought. The groove and progression of the tune really stand out, with some superbly creative drum work towards the end.
7. Can’t Keep Hurting: This tune starts with a well pitched discordance. ‘Can’t Keep Hurting’ is a considered, layered tune, where overlays of sound, musical and vocal hooks keep building and piling on top of each other. This appears the direction of the tune. As is an EEP characteristic, this tune doesn’t stay still; it keeps changing, evolving. This is another tune, I think, which is best experienced through headphones. Eschewing a harmonised vocal approach with this song, EEP present a ‘Many voices’ technique. This form was first developed through opera and entered the popular musical consciousness thanks to bands such as Queen. This tune sways and washes over the listener. In some ways, it’s the most dream-like on the entire album.
8. Closer: ‘Can’t Keep Hurting’ flows into and becomes ‘Closer’, the very last track on the album. There’s carefully controlled guitar feedback, a lower register voice, less definition in the instruments (in a good way of course), so they almost become a soundscape backdrop for the vocals. This track is very different to the others on the album. There isn’t any percussion, the rhythm comes from the other instruments and the guiding vocals. By being so different a track, ‘Closer’ fulfils a role on this album which I often refer to in my reviews. The last track of an album, by being slightly apart but still connected to the other tracks gives the listener an indication or hint of what might come next on a future release by EEP. Or perhaps foretells the direction they’re going in. Plus, the heavy, sleep-like form this tune takes has that 100% finality at odds with the partial finality of ‘When it was over’.
Final thoughts: This album has a perfect start with ‘Hogar’, which serves as a proper bombtrack; a middle or ‘partial finish’ with ‘When it was over’; A reinvention and start of ‘Side 2’, with ‘Outlast You’ and an end, ’Closer’. These tunes and their purpose and the way they complement and intwine with one another means this album has the perfect peaks and flows for the listener.
Here are a selection of links to ‘Death of a Very Good Machine’ by EEP, do you can chose your preferred listening platform:
⭐️ITunes: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/death-of-a-very-good-machine/1520528181
⭐️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/44aVgkwKqAPk70ZBr6WNPv?si=_jRSINuHRYy4Ao5Xd7dZzA
⭐️Bandcamp: http://eepshoegaze.bandcamp.com/album/death-of-a-very-good-machine