Ophelia - EP Review: Invisible
It only takes one listen to hear that Ophelia’s second EP invisible has a very artistic influence, the stylistic collection of dub/electro pop tunes have a lush orchestral flair, and are well furnished with mellow and moody atmospheres. The song writing team of Patrick Shanahan and Alex Louise have created a persuasive set of tunes, where the instrumentation is a mix of organic and synthetic precision that delivers a perfect platform for a wonderful Lorde meets Adele sounding lead vocal from Alex Louise. Her smooth tones and emotive vocal sound is prevalent in each track and the words enter deep into your mind and consciousness, drawing you in to the emotion and sensitivity of the songs themes.
Each track is very atmospheric, with understated verses that deliver us to up-tempo chorus’s each with arousing layered vocal chants and stirring melodies. The percussive heartbeat of Eden has a unique feel, it’s kind of like dubstep but with a tribal rhythm. It’s not all electronic music as there are some lovely piano and guitar arrangements, like in the track Lucy which opens with a beautiful and delicate piano piece that is joined by a strident vocal performance from Alex. Overall there is good use of reverb and echo effects creating distant and broad spatial atmosphere’s. Invisible starts very cool and dreamy with heavy synth grinds, then midway through it bursts into a frenetic vocal wrap that fits in surprisingly well. I like the way Next Door maintains its eerie swirling arrangement through the tune that again helps to highlight Alex’s wonderful vocal gifts.
In summary Invisible is a strong collection of tunes that delivers a sophisticated modern mix, where cool electronic music is a foundation for the natural beauty of Alex’s vocal, which at times is haunting and evocative, but always intriguing and engaging, a sound that is the EP’s and indeed Ophelia’s strength.
About Ophelia
Their debut EP Face the Sea was released in November 2013 following an exciting reception for the single Not So Frightening. Over the following six months, Patrick and Alex worked on crafting their performance and incorporating a unique visual element into each show. During this time they developed their use of various instruments and different elements into their performance.
Their second EP Invisible focuses on a deeper fusing of Alex’s story-telling song writing style and Patrick’s beat-driven production. The tracks can be stripped back to an almost acoustic level for variety in performance, something very important to Ophelia. The pair are currently busy producing three new videos to accompany the new EP with friend and film-maker Chris Williams, and are looking forward to sharing their new work with fans.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Ophelia
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