Earth Engine EP

Five tracks comprise Earth Engine’s debut EP, each one a jarring spiral deeper into unfamiliar, uncharted, and wildly unpredictable territory. One thing you won’t take away from this Detroit group’s record is exactly something you’d expect. And for a self-produced project, this is certainly no small feat. Still, at its heart, this thing is a solid collection of prog rock songs. Kind of.    

The EP takes its time unraveling its layered and cryptic, yet catchy and accessible content, dancing around hooks and bridges that often take a dramatically different shape only seconds later. The opening track (and the album’s most linear), “Remain,” washes over like a heavy tide, coming up as a level and aggressive ballad. Other tracks like “Joy Blue” hammer sporadically through to the end with many sharp turns along the way. It’s never a straight shot -- more like a deliberate detour. The structured chaos is just enough to make sure you won’t walk away.

Something the record gives a lot of attention to: bringing together aesthetic themes via production strategies. For example, you’ll notice a white noise exit in “Fever of Static,” ushering listeners into sustained emptiness. You might hear bells in “Year One” to complement If I ring the bell -- the track’s telling line. And, if you listen very carefully, you might hear a soft drone between “Remain” and “River’s Red” -- i.e., submerged and trying to surface. Still.  
And what’s most impressive is how unusual and singular EE’s sound actually is, while still making you want to dance and sing along -- while still striking right to your core. This, after all, is what music is supposed to do. And so many groups seem to lose sight of that very early on. For the time being, it seems Earth Engine can hold your attention, and more importantly, make that time count.

The EP is worth listening to if only for the experience of hearing a local product you really don’t hear that often -- although you’ll likely find better reasons than that.

Here's the album's single:  

EP Release

Saturday, February 13 

New Dodge Lounge, Hamtramck  
$5/doors at 8:00 pm