There’s nothing more exciting than an artist who keeps you on your toes, and one of those artists is Eli. On his debut EP ‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’, Eli doesn’t just keep you guessing, he takes you on a musical journey that’s, yes, full of twists and turns, but they’re twists and turns you didn’t know you needed to experience until now.
Just when you think you know what you’re in for when you ingest ‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’, you’re slapped across the face with something completely unexpected that doesn’t just excite you, it infects you. You can’t shake this feeling of discombobulation and honestly, you don’t want to. This EP leaves you on the edge of your seat eagerly awaiting what’s next, which is something you don’t get to experience very often but, you do get to experience on ‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’ from the very beginning.
‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’ begins with ‘Opening/Track ID’ which, at first, fades in with sharp tones that feel both melodic and gritty at the same time. Deep humming synths then enter the mix, and everything feels calm and smooth for a short while until a heavy beat and thunderous pads take over, transporting you into a world of explosive electronica. Eli’s soft vocals float above the supercharged production, adding an ethereal element to the track, and transforming it into a piece that feels like the warmest sunburst hitting instantly you in the face after you’ve been sitting in a dark room for hours on end – it’s instantly invigorating and pulls no punches.
After ‘Opening/Track ID’, we dive right into ‘I Want To Feel Alright’ and a series of chopped vocal samples before sliding into a really fun, bouncing beat. The vocal samples continue to scatter themselves across the track as the beat bounds forward and more glitching samples are paired alongside vocals from both Eli and DoloRRes. ‘I Want To Feel Alright’ has a lot of flavour and once the humming atmospherics join the party, you find yourself immersed in a very warm and steamy club track that flows incredibly well and feels so great to dance to. There are some very subtle similarities between ‘Opening/Track ID’ and ‘I Want To Feel Alright’, like the humming atmospherics, but the main throughline is that they still both feel incredibly warm. There’s a heat that radiates out of both melodies and you can also feel that heat on ‘One Of These Days’, although the vibe has almost completely shifted.
‘One of These Days’ is a lot softer than ‘Opening/Track ID’ and ‘I Want To Feel Alright’. Gentle guitar licks open the track alongside buzzing synths and snapping samples that give the overall melody a slight kick. ‘One Of These Days’ has a lot of movement in its melody and you can feel it lightly propelling you forward as Eli’s vocals weave through each element. Then, the saxophone comes in and suddenly you melt into a smooth groove you didn’t see coming, but you instantly feel flowing through you. ‘One Of These Days’ is so refreshing and although it feels so light and airy, there’s still a hint of grit to it that makes it so interesting to listen to.
After all that lightness, we fall into ‘What If/If Only’, a track featuring vocals from Lucy Lamb and feels a lot darker than its predecessor. Dreamy guitar licks open the track before Eli’s echoing vocals, fast-paced high hats, and a soft beat propel us into a sombre club melody that leaves a striking impression. The movement in this melody is a lot faster and although it feels a lot darker compared to every other track on ‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’, it still feels warm – like you’ve found a comforting presence in an otherwise eerie place. Lucy’s vocals compliment Eli’s so well and add an element of yearning to the track that really ties the entire vibe together – it’s sweet, a little scary, and sounds downright amazing!
Finally, we close the EP with ‘I’ll Ask Them To Go’, which is probably the most surprising track of them all! After treating us to a collection of heat-filled hyper pop and electronica, we suddenly dive head-first into an incredibly luscious track that feels more like smooth indie lounge jazz. ‘I’ll Ask Them To Go’ builds incredibly slowly, letting us linger within an intricate acoustic guitar melody before light drums lift up the guitar with Eli’s heavenly vocals. There’s a sweetness and innocence to this track which partly stems from the chiming samples, but mostly comes from Eli’s beautiful vocals. Exposing just how versatile Eli’s talent is, ‘I’ll Ask Them To Go’ takes us somewhere completely different and wraps ‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’ up in a wildly unexpected, yet gorgeous bow.
‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’ is an incredibly unique collection of tracks. While there is a subtle throughline, each track still stands out as their own amazing piece of music, and Eli’s full range of musical skills is on display, as he takes us on a journey from heavy-hitting electronica to deep hyper-pop and then, out of nowhere, ends it all with a blend of indie rock and jazz. ‘I Can Be Whatever You Want Me To Be’ is an incredible EP that reminds you to expect the unexpected, embrace whatever life throws at you, and always immerse yourself in the things you love.
~ out now via Mammal Sounds Records