Caesar Of Cymatics’s debut EP “if it weren’t for them…” has been released today on the 26th of July. The EP delves into an array of new sounds for the 17-year-old songwriter from Manchester. Taking influences from folk legends such as Nick Drake, Elliot Smith and Jeff Buckley, it veers away from the idealisms and general consensus of his previous pop influenced tracks, in exchange for focus on darker themes that have been following him through his slow maturation into pre-adulthood.
The opening track ‘sons of the skyclock sky‘ is minimalistic throughout and features an intimate finger-picking guitar accompanied by incredibly personal whisper-like vocals, setting the tone for the rest of the EP. ‘ode to the pink moon” is up next which is slightly more upbeat than the opening track while still featuring the same whisper-like vocals combined with an easy to follow humming section that is sure to generate some audience participation at future performances. The ticking clock at the start morphs into a steady strumming of the guitar and goes full circle at the end of the track as the guitar fades back into the ticking clock.
Cover Art by @martinthehat
The third track of the EP, ‘black veiled bride‘, is an eerie song right from the start. A guitar slowly builds over the sound of the howling winds. Combined with the now typical whispery vocals it comes together to form the perfect oh-so-spooky sound. In the instrumental breaks between verses a melodic synth can be heard in the distance, adding to the overall feeling of the track.
Closing out the EP is the song ‘where have you gone?‘. The song features electronic strings throughout, and right from the start the listener is sucked into the ebb and flow of the music with a waltz like rhythm. The track is made up of multiple sections that continue to build up in both volume and speed. Nearer the end the tempo picks up for a fully instrumental section that could easily be extended and potentially be the perfect set closer as the tension builds up within the song. As the track comes to a close so does the build-up as almost all instruments disappear to leave only the ticking of drumsticks on the edge of a drum.
Overall, the EP is a perfect journey from calm to a little less calm, from gentle guitar picking to steady strumming and from emotional whispers to sing-along lyrics. You can listen to the EP ‘if it weren’t for them…‘ here or alternatively find ‘Caesar of Cymatics‘ on all their social media platforms here.
Words: Sharyn Bellemakers
