"NOTHING2U" by Euan Blackman
Review
Out today is the single "NOTHING2U" on Ripe Records, instalment number three from artist Euan Blackman's ‘Thunderstorms' EP (his third). It thus joins "Butterfly" and "I Don't Think About It (Too Much)" as pieces in that particular jigsaw puzzle.
In accordance with his clear ambition to use EP #3 as a shopwindow for his wider skills beyond the introverted sound of the first two, "NOTHING2U" takes a big step forwards & ends up outside the "alt folk for kind folk" perimeter entirely for the first time in his recording career. I cannot doubt that he aims still at kind folk, but this is better described as a variant of rock: it's illuminating that he tells us that "I wanted it to sound like if Elliott Smith fronted The Smashing Pumpkins" which is both accurate & helpful in preparing his core fanbase for a paradigm shift. "It's music designed to be turned up loud." Which isn't the first thing which I can imagine coming into anyone's head with any of his previous releases.
The words too take the song away from the wistfulness which has characterised his approach until now: here he starts to engage more with the concrete practicalities and anxieties of an urban, rather than pastoral life. There are definite hints of feelings of alienation present. Now those wispy, delicate vocals are telling a different story: they've spoken of the ethereal, now they turn to senses of isolation. You have to admire him for using much the same approach to evoke such contrasting moods.
While Euan accurately describes "NOTHING2U" as "..the biggest and most anthemic my music has ever sounded.." and is looking forwards to more exploration in this direction, the relative continuity in his singing approach provides support for his fans seeking to avoid trauma in navigating this evolution.
That the mothership is named ‘Thunderstorms' fits with the change in style & volume: I wonder is he building towards something even more tempestuous for the final EP track?
