EP Review: Eden Rain - 'Can I Come Too?'
Vivid and vulnerable, Eden Rain’s new EP ‘Can I Come Too’ is the release of choice for all those looking to get up in their feelings this Autumn.
Rising alt-pop artist Eden Rain dropped ‘Can I Come Too’ this week, a devastatingly beautiful EP that no doubt will be on repeat for many as the seasons change and the nights grow long. Over 5 stunning tracks, she expands and builds on the nuanced storytelling and sonic subtlety that has become synonymous with her songwriting whilst exploring the highs and lows that come with navigating your 20s. Confessional yet warm, it offers insight into her personal experiences of self doubt, loss, and the desire for connection. When talking about her goals and inspiration behind the project she explained:
‘Can I Come Too? came together when I felt that fear of abandonment was shaping every relationship, every small choice, every text I sent. It’s messy, embarrassing, deeply personal- and somehow, I’m really proud of it.’
As well as being her most personal release to date, it brings with it explorations into other creative endeavours and has been a way to explore other passions. Whilst the music is central, as part of her creative vision for the EP she made the decision she would design and create all the accompanying visuals herself. Whether it be the single artwork and album cover or the concepts and storyboarding for the music videos, Eden Rain through this EP has built a beautifully vivid world for ‘Can I Come Too’ to exist in and the amount of effort and artistry that has gone into it deepens its emotional pull.
It’s difficult to pick a favourite from the 5 tracks because each is so unique and personal to Rain. ‘Ugly Crier’, the song which bookends the project, is really special but so too is ‘I’ve Hidden Your Passport’. ‘Ugly Crier’ seems to be the song from which the EP was born and talks about the fear of being abandoned and left alone and the way in which many feel the need to lie about that fear. It sees Rain inhabit both of these ways of thinking and in her own words she talks about how ‘I clung when I should have let go, tried to act grown up, even leaving someone before they left me’. The rest of the EP is built around this sentiment, a beautiful and emotional exploration of what it means to experience loss - both losses that have already happened and ones you fear lie in the future. ‘I’ve Hidden Your Passport’ explores the former, a situation where a close friend announced they were moving across the world to Australia. It is one of the collaborative tracks that saw Rain work with Ian Berryman, a partnership that helped her to process the heartbreak of realising that you can’t make someone stay. Layered with her signature intimate lyricism, glittering indie-pop textures and a gorgeously rich tone, its a project that really pulls at the heartstrings and will leave any listener wanting more.
With ‘Can I Come Too’, Eden Rain continues to carve out a space of her own - something that exists between the worlds of melancholic pop and alt-indie. Given her reputation for captivating live performances and incredible ability to connect with audiences, it's so exciting that this release also comes with her biggest show to date, a headline gig at Oslo in London next month. A massive milestone in a career that seems to be skyrocketing at the moment, it will not be one to miss.
Words by Kirsty Ann Thomson
