EP Review: As We Leave - 'Everything To A Point'
As We Leave’s debut EP is a beautiful reflection of growing up, balancing the pros and cons of maturity through psych-pop.
‘Everything To A Point’ proves less is more, as the Isle of Wight group create intimate sounds to cover the happy nostalgia, and the bittersweet moments, of misfits adjusting to adult life.
Single ‘Hope That Kills’ opens the EP, and sonically sets an autumnal scene which mirrors the visual one outside your door. It starts a melancholic adventure with a gentle reminder that it’s okay to lose yourself from time to time, as frontman Caine Entwistle sings “it’s always the hope that kills you”.
The concept of losing yourself continues for the distorted reality of ‘Dreamland’, while dwelling on the disappointment on things not going to plan over the repeated refrain “only yourself to blame”.
‘Counterpoint’ is an example of the EP’s beautiful guitar work from Kyle Abram and Tom Gardner. It’s a vulnerable portrayal of the lack of certainty, and feels like a lost track from the 60s or 70s.
“I found you many years from now,” Caine sings to open ‘Stories We Tell’. It is no surprise a band interested in Russian literature utilises curious narrative techniques, and it’s a unique way to start. The lyrics are matched with drowsy melodies paying homage to past summers. As We Leave capture many seasons with their music, and the warmth of ‘Stories We Tell’ makes it an EP highlight.
Closing track ‘Body Clock’ is a sonic chill-out which should reset any excess hours worn into your own body through this modern life. It feels like a tamer Tame Impala.
As lifelong friends, As We Leave have used their personal experiences to make you contemplate your own nostalgic memories, confidence issues and wayward life goals. They make you feel like a character in their own intricate story.
As We Leave, from the picturesque town of Sandown, use their music to paint beautiful scenes on ‘Everything To A Point’. It’s a promising start to the journey.
Words by Samuel Draper