Dreamy shoegaze and lo-fi qualities let alluring ambiance meet with softly soulful songwriting and vocal play, as R1CO G introduces his EP Full Circle, with the beautifully intimate, reverb-soaked and calming tones of Today.
Featuring a distinct pattern of almost warped riffs, echoing through the space, Today follows a vocal pattern that rises then falls to resolve. We loop through these canned shoegaze vocal verses hypnotically, before R1CO G switches the structural impact for something a little more impassioned, spoken then sung in a different, more long-form melodic outburst, but all of this is modest, gentle, and lyrically hazy.
It feels like a fever dream, and everything works in unison to create that – an immersive, soothing progression of waves, setting the bar with refreshing humility and vibe.
The Full Circle EP features 8 original songs in full, and is respectably versatile, whilst holding onto a particular songwriting and vocal style that becomes synonymous with the R1CO G name. Consider I Feel Insane, distorted guitar riffs and a rhythmically upbeat dose of grunge and introspective struggle, a call and response vocal style, but still that R1CO G voice in its dreamy contemplation. The song picks up the pace further still for an anthemic spoken segment during the latter half, and the drums kick up the energy in unison, to slowly but surely build a clear sense of rising anticipation and vibrancy.
Ideas loop consistently throughout this project, the music is creative but purposeful and grounded by intention, and each song presents only a handful of reflections, which are hard to decipher but settle in with impact as the music rolls through and repeats.
For Expectations, we get something of a summertime aura – a light bounce of a beat, a touch of joy in the melody, longer-form lyrical framings – even a brighter indie-pop crescendo for the chorus. It’s well-placed and catchy, lifting the mood but continuing to provoke thought as certain images and ideas ring out from within.
From ethereal synths to guitars, drums, bass and playful vocal diversity, Full Circle quietly incorporates a number of influences, and ultimately stands tall on the strength of identity and songwriting that is the R1CO G artistic voice.
The project comes to a close with a stunning highlight, the sublime song Oh God depicting a whole new vocal nuance and key for the singer, with an enchanting riff rather boldly mixed alongside ambient synths and subtle harmonies. This track draws upon a sort of xx or Temper Trap aura, but it’s much more intimate, not euphoric but deeply serene, evocative, passionate, and the kind of soundscape and song that begs for you to listen on repeat, at volume; committing to the feeling with the artist, and achieving some level of escapism and understanding in the process.
That quality is essential to the music that moves us, that stands the test of time – not a flashy outpouring of confidence or attention-grabbing performative flair, just a natural emotional charm and purpose to both the arrangement and delivery, and Full Circle has all bases covered on that front.
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