Watercolor Lies is the brand new EP from LA artist ee beyond. For the music fans out there who’ve been searching for something alternative but mildly familiar, naturally impressive and meaningful, it’s a must. The first few seconds of Dreamers Howl alone put forth a strong case for this being an exciting, refreshing project, from an upcoming artist well worth paying attention to.
ee beyond is a singer and songwriter with a passion for writing and making music. You can hear this in the creativity in her sound, you can hear it in the fusion of genres – the organic rhythm, the space, the togetherness. You can hear it in the soul in her voice, and you can hear it in the lyrics throughout. This particular, opening song, brings a level of movement and a slowly rising passion that sees the singer’s vocal melody meander off to great heights – returning back again afterwards to the smooth, real-time shuffle of the beat. It’s a great way to begin, and things continue to wander off down an eclectic and thoughtful pathway from here on in.
Too High (The Story Of Us) offers more of that minimalism – the space, an initially quiet and fairly vintage backdrop. On top of this, the artist delivers her ideas by means of a hip hop-meets-RnB aura. Where before there was only melody and smooth emotion, here there is grit – there are edges and corners and ideas that capture your attention from afar. The contrast between the rhythm of the verses and the melody of the hook works beautifully in holding tight to your attention.
This song quickly becomes a highlight, feeling partly nostalgic and reminiscent of nineties RnB legends, feeling also partly completely fresh and impossible to predict. The structure, the various sections – all of this appears by means of an inherent creative freedom that’s clearly a huge part of ee beyond’s approach to music.
The EP’s title track veers off in a heavier direction, a hit of distortion and weight, a thick, electronically sourced bass-line contrasts with a high and delicate vocal line. As things progress, ee beyond exercises her creative freedom even further. This song becomes a totally characterful one, musically speaking, and from a lyrical perspective – these are some of the artist’s most striking and provocative ideas yet. The lines leave you hanging on every word, often wondering about what was said long after the song has finished. The scenes set within are clear cut and fit the ambiance well. In addition, you’re encouraged to look ahead, and even behind – not merely seeing what’s in the here and now, but seeing things much more deeply than this. The song is easily worth two or three listens in a row, to make sure every idea and its clever connection to the music supporting it really sinks in.
Enemy brings the EP to a close with a quiet sense of strength and power. This is ee beyond taking the form of a soul singer, this piece being the classic ballad – emotional and honest, personal and deeply reflective of inner turmoil. The melody is stunning in the way that it develops, and once more – the unity between this and the music, how everything evolves as a single entity, is mesmerising. There’s space here, a lot of it, but still the song feels immense – heavy and impossible to ignore. It’s beautifully artistic, and by this point you know the voice – you know the style, and there’s no need to compare it to anything. There’s something special and open and very free about this whole project. I look forward to seeing what the future brings.
Find & follow ee beyond on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. Visit her Website for more information.
