When indie rock artist EERA released her first album in 2017, she sounded as though she wasn’t completely sure of herself or in how she’d want to establish her sound. There was nothing whatsoever wrong with it, it just felt as though she was in the early stages of coming out of her shell. Four years later she’s released a follow up that in more ways than one, solidifies the direction she might be moving in. Speak has been available on stream for a little more than a week now, and EERA comes off as much more developed.
Speak sounds as though EERA has gotten out of her own way.
Speak sounds as though EERA has gotten out of her own way. Often, artists who are unsure of themselves tend to just experiment with what they think sounds good. EERA has moved past that stage with this new record in which she clearly picks a style and runs with it. The twelve song selection is a consistently and carefully arranged set of tracks that demonstrates her ability to take chances with her music regardless of the outcome or where the critical response is concerned. The Norwegian singer/songwriter was recently quoted as saying she hoped listeners could “dive into another world” when experiencing Speak, and the overall atmosphere that she provides with each song is fairly conducive to that notion. Speak is definitely within its own universe and this is said with complete respect to her work.
The sound of the album as a whole could be described as a harmonious, euphoric trip. The feeling that comes with listening is illusory, almost unreal, as though one has entered a lucid dream. Aside from the traditional guitar riffs, her use of bass and other typical instruments, there is an almost indistinct aura that she generates with her use of synths and electric sounds of which accompany her haunting vocals. The ambience of Speak is more or less the same, but not every song is identical. The opening track Solid Ground is more a soft rock song than anything else, keeping a steady drum tempo with a constant stable melody. Midnight is one such song where it takes the listener into the void. There are constant shifts and different progressions, EERA showcasing her vocal range a bit more fluidly as well. Unset Truths is definitely a standout too, beginning with a minute of simple guitar chords with overlaying vocals before the song moves to a completely different phase.
Albums like this take some time to get completed. Between the song writing, musical arrangement, and the overall process it takes to produce it, it’s no surprise that it took the better part of four years for EERA to debut her sophomore release. The benefits of this do outweigh the negatives though. EERA is not destined to be an artist who churns out records on a conveyor belt periodically. She’ll likely continue to take her time, insuring everything is as polished as it can be. However as is often said, good things come to those who wait.
