Fresh off the press is the debut EP from Kiara Eve, On the Surface; a perfect blend of light-hearted indie-rock infused with darker shades of dramatic, orchestral melancholy.
Kiara Eve does not allow for her music to be played in the background, instantly snatching your attention and forcing you to focus solely on the operatic electronica sounds which span across the EP.
The opening track Sirens is the perfect way to begin this eclectic and diverse piece of work with its sharp, edgy orchestral elements which immediately give the record a rich and complex musical structure. It’s an epic track of retrospective regret, construing the tragedy of misjudgment and the sting of a toxic personality which could have been avoided.
Wallflower is the perfect follow-up – a cathartic anthem for the reclusive misfit, orchestrated beautifully with some wonderfully eerie, minimalist instrumentation which instantly strings a close likeness to the classic sounds of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Clean, refined layers of sustained violin notes, capture perfectly the obscure and non-conforming nature of the Wallflower, a term used to describe someone who is often brushed aside or paid little attention too. The song itself celebrates the uniqueness and sensitivity which Wallflowers often portray, taking a stab at ignorant skeptics by stating “I’m not the Wallflower you used to know”.
I See You expands on what is already a dynamic and informed deconstruction of loss, betrayal, and regret, taking on the timeless sounds of a ‘60s blues heart-throbber with its gentle, moody swing rhythm. It feels like a lullaby to the socially disillusioned, who have realised the truth behind the external image which someone might portray. It’s an incredibly thoughtful tune, weighted with universal truths about the masks we often put on to hide deeper insecurities.
In a sense, the closing track Bury The Memories also runs off a similar theme but in an entirely different way. Instead, it is the upbeat, bright indie-pop sounds of the track which dress with positivity and release, what is otherwise quite a tragic story of the emptiness felt in a home once shared with an ex-lover. Nevertheless, it is the perfect outro to an undoubtedly multi-faceted EP which has explored a variety of Eve’s more serious themes in a myriad of interesting ways.
Stream Kiara Eve’s new EP On the Surface below:
