Easy Life - ‘Temporary Love Pt. 1 & 2’
It’s fair to say it’s been a pretty mega few months for Leicester five-piece Easy Life. Having made their television debut on Jools Holland and releasing absolute banger ‘Nightmares’, they’ve returned with conceptual double A side ‘Temporary Love Pt 1 & 2’ proving that they’re more than just a singles band.
It’s exciting to see a young band demonstrating such clear vision in a format that is seldom utilised in the post-CD era. Part 1 channels sentimentality tinged with a melancholy kind of hope. “You can be my rocket fuel on a Sunday, my early morning queen” sings Murray, with the sort of topline melody that would make Frank Ocean jealous, detailing the feeling of knowing a relationship is doomed to be temporary but enjoying the ride nonetheless.
Part 2 is more reflective, opening with a pitched sample reminiscent of Eminem’s ‘Toy Soldiers’. There’s a pensive resignation to the fact that “love is temporary”, emphasised by a sparse skittering beat that doesn’t feel a million miles from Jack Antonoff’s more stripped back production efforts.
The distinction between the tracks bears some resemblance the two separate parts of ‘Sober’ on Lorde’s ‘Melodrama’, the first following the rise before the fall and the second embedded in the aftermath. There’s also a similar sense that, as with much of Lorde’s output, Easy Life are making considered yet thrilling artistic choices.
Their contemporary R&B and pop influences are clear and Easy Life manage that tricky balance of demonstrating a love and appreciation for what’s come before whilst crafting something intoxicatingly fresh. What’s more, they’ve somehow made it to the end of Q4 and only just released their best effort to date. ‘Temporary Love’ illustrates a maturity in their outlook that will surely only grow as we look ahead into 2019.
Words by Hattie Long