From spacey shoegaze to guitar-led pop, The First Eloi pull off a sonic tightrope walk on new EP Low Glow
There’s something unique about The First Eloi’s debut EP Low Glow. At first, you might want to classify the German three piece — composed of rock veterans Rolf and Lorenz and singer Enid — as quintessential post-punk, but upon closer inspection, the traces of shoegaze remain a prominent throughline.
At a certain point on their six-track project, however, you realise that confining The First Eloi to any one sound is reductive, since the trio can dip their toe into a variety of genres with finesse.
That spirit of sonic diversity is felt immediately on EP opener How This Started, which begins with punkish guitar strums and thunderous percussion.
While the opening moments of the track might teeter towards post-core, the introduction of Enid’s ethereal vocals makes for something altogether distinct.
Here, The First Eloi create an ambient soundscape that borrows from rock’s grittier elements without resorting to cacophony. The result is quite the opposite, as How This Started masterfully walks the line between head-thrashing and swooning.
The shoegaze spaciousness continues on Neverland, which forefronts melodic guitar for a sonic atmosphere as magical as its titular fictional island.
The trio add texture to the track with rich double lead vocal lines and distorted guitar riffs, all while musing on the loss of innocence that occurs as we grow up.
“Cause Tinkerbell has left us all,” Enid croons airly atop production somehow heavy and dreamy in equal measure.Your Halo steers more toward soft, guitar-led pop, a fitting avenue for a band who counts Kate Bush and Billie Eilish as influences.
Mastering the darker elements of the latter artist, Enid can flit between whisper tones and grumbles, singing expressively of a suitor who lost their sparkle.
Perhaps Low Glow’s grungiest outing, the Interlucid interlude amps up the bass and electric strings while still retaining the EP’s delicate sheen through spacey and delicate synths.
Acoustic pop gets its chance to shine in the opening moments of penultimate track Last Days Of Summer, where rustic guitar is paired with angelic vocals.
Rolf and Lorenz bolster the sounds with interwoven melodies and punchy percussion, as Enid laments the passage of time and the imminent end of summer.
The First Eloi conclude their sonic journey on How This Ends, a call-back to the EP opener which exemplifies the trio’s knack balancing soft floors with propulsive instrumentation.
The First Eloi first garnered attention with their track Fall From Cedars, a track resplendent enough to compel this writer to dive deeper into their discography. And boy, is he glad he did.
Listen to The First Eloi’s new EP Low Glow below.
