The Epochs The Epochs WB rating out of 100

Creating soft pop records is a tricky business. Artists don’t want to bore their audience to tears, but at the same time who really wins if they move to the rules of mainstream and veer away from the slower artform? Brooklyn outfit The Epochs have confronted this can of worms in their first long player by arranging their tunes into a soft pop-fuelled record that is introduced with faster and heavier rock. Essentially this self-titled debut takes a backwards approach by leading in heavy and progressing downward over its course. The result is a mix of traditional acoustic pop and melodramatic synth. What’s surprising is that The Epochs’ production justifies this atypical take on the ‘album progression’, allowing their debut a real sense of legitimacy.

It’s easy to be fooled into thinking that The Epochs are a fully fledged rock band upon hearing opener ‘Thunder and Lightning’. The progressive track ignores all the traditional rules of songwriting with its instantly heavy inception and almost theatrical movement through rock, classical, electronica, pop and tribal elements. Listeners could feel let down when the excitement and vigour of the first few tracks is abandoned, but in actual fact, the best work of The Epochs isn’t found in the “big” moments of its beginnings, but is nestled quietly into its more contemplative conclusion.

Ryan Holladay’s vocals are arguably the best thing about The Epochs, allowing the band the currency to move between the serene and the heavy. There are several moments throughout where Holladay sounds remarkably similar to Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns, and with the band’s instrumentation relying heavily on experimental synth there are distinct similarities to Johns’ Dissociatives project. Away from the sound-alike comparisons, Holladay has a falsetto that demands attention – notably on ‘Opposite Sides’ and the controlled whisper of ‘Thunder and Lightning’ – his expertly trained control over these notes and his tone separating his voice from that of his contemporaries.

Still, many elements of The Epochs can be referenced back to fellow pop acts. Acoustic-led ‘Stand Up and Be Counted’ and ‘Love Complete’ tap into the same pop excitement as Spoon on Girls Can Tell whilst the more synth led ‘Mister Fog’ could have almost been lifted directly from Air’s Walkie Talkie, with both vocals and instrumentation resembling the French duo. Whilst such similarities litter this record, there are also the much-needed tracks that don’t parallel as obviously with other bands. The Epochs have created a style of intentionally clunky guitar and percussion that needs time to grow with the listener but remains unrivalled as creative instrumentation. Such experimentation and variation ensures contemporary placement but also emphasises The Epochs as an original band.

It’s easy to get hooked on this record straight away due to its opening attention-grabbers, but the best that The Epochs offers will require multiple listens before appreciation – especially in regard to its more random elements. And while creating soft pop records can still be a tricky business, The Epochs have succeed by offering the more immediate non-soft pop standards to garner attention whilst retaining a more delicate side to assure longevity. This pairing proves to be a winner.