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.
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