Review by Shannon Shumaker
Slaughter Beach, Dog’s new EP, Motorcycle.jpg might be short, but it’s perfect for low-key summer afternoons. Spearheaded by warm instrumentals and Jake Ewald’s blunt, honest and inviting vocals, these four songs are incredibly personal yet somehow relatable. Lyrically, Ewald is a songwriting genius, creating stunning visuals and relatable content out of what would normally be oddly specific, mundane stories.
“Your Cat” is the warm, timeless opener and easily one of the strongest songs on the EP. Lyrically, this song is the perfect example of Ewald’s lyrical prowess with a melodramatic, pessimistic and honest tone about trying to understand life, love and moving on. Following “Your Cat” is the personal, “Glowing,” which catches your attention with the powerful first line, “It’d be a shame if I drowned in the house that I grew up in.” This second song tackles depression and feeling lost and confused but with a rather pretty and bright sound instrumentally. Vocally, this song is much softer than the blunt, “Your Cat,” almost making it easy to discuss such heavy subject matter.
The simplistic third song, “104 Degrees” takes a step away from the first two songs vocally, as it is very flat and monotone, telling the story of one day’s events in a very straightforward manner. This shorter track feels more like an interlude than a full song, but it is a welcome change of pace in the middle of three otherwise very similar sounding songs. Then, following “104 Degrees” comes the warm final track, “Building The Ark,” which finds Ewald back in his element, weaving a vibrant story alongside fuzzy guitars.
The songs on Motorcycle.jpg might not be groundbreaking by any means – vocally and sonically, the four tracks are something that fans have come to expect from Ewald and Slaughter Beach, Dog – but the purpose of this EP isn’t necessarily to showcase something wild and diverse. The four songs on Motorcycle.jpg each tell a personal story as Jake Ewald wears his heart on his sleeve. The result is something that makes you feel closer to the music and understood even if just by one person.
LISTEN TO “Glowing”
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