This fresh EP from London based singer/songwriter Yehan Jehan is an interesting body of work. I find it caught in a unique balance between indietronica, alt rock and acoustic. It really has such an array of sounds that almost don’t fit into any set genre, similarly to the likes of Queen, where it was just music, no specific boundaries seem to apply. Having teased the EP for over a year, it’s nice to hear it in its full glory.
It kicks off with a single that was released over a year ago ‘Swallow The Horizon’. It’s very upbeat and energetic, you get a sense of excitement when listening to it. It almost sets you in the mood to go cruising into the city and find a cool bar with live music. The vocals are sung in an almost falsetto range during the chorus, which are very reminiscent of 90’s rock pop. There’s a low slung bass that just really plucks its way throughout the track that also adds an element of sleaze, but not in a bad way.
Following on we get ‘Freaking Out’, which opens on piano chords and a gentle drum beat. It carries a similar energy with it, a song that’s made for walking or strutting to, putting that extra stride in your step. However as the song progresses it builds into more a psych style, it’s really quite an interesting journey on it. Somewhere between early Tame Impala and The Kooks.
Keeping the psychedelic feels at an all time high, both ‘Phantoms Beat’ and ‘Tired One/Light Speed’ seem to have that sluggishness that’s bordering the end of a mushroom trip. Not quite all out of visual stimulation, but an overwhelming feeling of normality creeping up. ‘Tired One/Light Speed’ in particular really illustrates this, both through the tone of the song and the lyrical content. The song also goes for 4:20, a cheeky tip of the hat perhaps?
Bringing us back to life he rolls straight into ‘Eat Me Alive’, a funky number that you probably could have heard on a 70’s disco dancefloor. Plucky strings, synthy keys and a soul filled vocal. As the song progresses there’s even a bit of jazz flute coming in and it just completes the package and takes you on a complete time warp, really incredible stuff.
The next two tracks, ‘The Movements and Ripples Between Me and You’ and ‘RA’ relapse on the psychedelic flip. Taking you to faraway places with gentle and soft textures, euphoric feelings and misty vocals. It’s really interesting the way this EP has been structured to make you feel a certain way, it is certainly designed for listening start to finish.
Wrapping up with ‘Our Day Will Come’, Yehan Jehan delivers the most contemporary number on this piece. It’s forward thinking and progressive, telling a tale of lost thoughts, with heavily layered vocals. It’s a really nice way to lead it out, almost like the end of the first part of a movie series, you’re left eager for the next. All in all it was a solid body of work, I really dug the psych elements of it and the concept that came through. There’s a lot of potential here for this artist. My personal favourite was ‘Tired One/Light Speed’, it just makes you feel so warm.
Rating: ★★★
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author: Elliott Armour