Ear Pwr - Ear Pwr

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4...according to our Mike on Thu 26 May, 2011.

North Carolina duo Ear Pwr craft densely textured synthpop with a combination of electronic and organic instruments and percussion. It's pretty good. The vocals kind of remind me of Toko Yasuda in their robustly melodic girlishness, and the synth lines often follow the same melody as the vocals, which gives it quite a queasy feel. Even though the sounds tend to be quite dense there's plenty of dynamic shifts and some really great analogue synth tones. There are plenty of reference points to be made, but it's hard to think of a single band these guys sound a lot like...Business Lady says they sound like a band from London called Plug, if that means anything to you. The expressive unison melodies and mid-paced grooves combined with the dense textures kind of remind me of some of the better anime soundtrack music. If you like analogue synths and easy grooves you can't go far wrong with this one really. The lyric booklet folds out into a poster that says "YOUR LIFE IS IMPORTANT" in massive letters, too, which is a nice sentiment to write in massive letters, isn't it.

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Naturalistic allusion, everyday sentimentality, spattering live percussion and gauzy layers of rich electronics effortlessly meld in EAR PWR’s new self-titled release. A rebirthing in many ways, the group’s sophomore effort explores an expansive set of auditory contours and thematic depths left untouched by the pair in their 2009 debut. Intricate electronic compositions showcase an array of textures elicited from Devin Booze’s collection of homemade analog synthesizers and other equipment unique to the group, while Sarah Reynolds’ thoughtfully teased melodies and emotive notions are woven throughout their sonic topographies. Having relocated to the mountainous west of their native North Carolina, the pair has spent considerable time and effort honing a batch of songs with a sound that is both distinct and developmentally consistent with their project’s conceptual maturation over the last year and a half—resulting in a product that is as joyous as it is contemplative, equally sentimental and probing.

Since 2006, Devin Booze and Sarah Reynolds have been actively recording and performing as EAR PWR, a project crafted around Booze’s instrumentation, Reynolds’ lyricism, and the two’s creatively synergetic interplay. Booze’s training at the Bob Moog founded music technology program at UNCA lays the sonic groundwork upon which EAR PWR is ultimately realized. Utilizing a collection of analog synthesizers and miscellaneous live percussion, the two explore and invent densely textured soundscapes. Following a short-lived stint in Baltimore, EAR PWR returned to the mountains of their native North Carolina to get to work on their sophomore record with a more grounded and earnest approach than was seen on their off-the-cuff and dance-heavy Carpark debut. Booze’s handwritten musical compositions--compiled while touring Europe and the US with friends Future Islands and labelmate Toro Y Moi--are overlaid with Reynolds’ naturalistic allusion and everyday sentimentality, blossoming into ten diverse tracks of tactile electronica, spattered percussion, thematic depth and lyrical melody that attest to the transformation enacted by these two over the last year and a half. Emerging from this sea change is a unique creation brimming with joy, contemplation, and an energetic spirit harnessed in Booze and Reynolds’ collaborative commitment to one another in their maturing musical endeavor.

LP contains free digital download card and poster