'Thunderstorms' EP by Euan Blackman

If you've been following my reviews of Euan Blackman, then you'll be aware that he's been building towards his third EP namely ‘Thunderstorms' via a series of singles which appear upon it: "NOTHING2U", "Butterfly",  "I Don't Think About It (Too Much)" and "Sneak Attack",

Well the full EP is now out, containing the above songs plus the title track itself. Given that I've already told you about 80% of the songs (please do feel welcome to refresh your memory), today I'm looking specifically at the latter as it's less known to us all.

Coming out again on Ripe Records, the song not only completes the collection but seals this chapter in his career: one which has seen him jump forwards from what we might reasonably have assumed to be a signature sound: this is a much more extrovert Euan and given the inherent loudness of the weather phenomenon he's writing about here, that sums the EP up: to put it crudely, calling it ‘Thunderstorms' prepares you for new loud Euan.

He's also articulating this extroversion by greatly increasing the types of music he's folding into his repertoire: as noted in the previous four reviews, he's delving more & more into new (for him) areas & these inevitably are bound to increase accessibility to his music and grow his audience. We're definitely talking a pop sensibility these days & he says how much he enjoyed the process of making it which comes through in what we hear.

Specifically, "Thunderstorms" the song is sonically an electro pop song with catchy hooks and his previously prominent guitar banished from the front of the mix behind ranks of keyboards. Like its predecessor, "Sneak Attack", the 1980s seem to be a key source. It's long too compared with his earlier work.

Lyrically though it's not actually an evocation of thunder & lightning as such, but a romantic piece centred around the notion of thunderstorms clearing the air (or indeed that such an idea is a fallacy in his eyes). The chorus was inspired by E M Forster he tells us.

Consequently the retention of the characteristic Euan "wispy" vocal sound not only maintains continuity with what's gone before (as does the blurry cover art), but fits what he's singing about here. However if his newly found eclecticism continues then he may need to adjust this: though I do detect (I think) a relative emergence from the ether here.

I really cannot predict what his next set of songs will sound like…