Full marks to Exit Project for presentation: their self-released debut single possesses a unity of design across the (carbon neutral) cover and disc body, and is accompanied by a press release that shows a clear attention to detail and is on heavy quality paper. Why does this matter? Because in this age of mass-production and of cultural homogenisation, and of disposability and ephemerality, it’s rare to find such care being taken to produce something that looks and feel like there’s time and effort gone into every aspect of not only the production, but also the marketing.
And on listening to the three tracks on this release from the York (England) based two-piece it’s fair to say that the same principles apply to the music. But how to describe their sound? They call themselves ‘alternative/folktronica,’ which they define as a combination of ‘acoustic guitar, emotional and harmony-drenched vocals, bleeps, blips and the occasional kitchen appliance.’ And I’d say that sums it up nicely.
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There’s a timeless, classic traditionalism about the songs, in particular Emi Jarvi’s gentle, melodic vocals, which is countered by sweeping orchestral synth sounds and glitchy rhythms constructed using sampled drum sounds, bringing a contemporary edge to their work. Nothing’s overdone here, and these seemingly disparate elements are combined in a fine balance that works perfectly.
‘Healing Slow’ is easy on the ear and – I mean this in a positive sense – undemanding, without being dull. In many respects, ‘Weigh Me Down’ and ‘Winter’ provide more of the same, but that’s no bad thing: taken as a whole, Exit Music’s debut (not that Jarvi or Charmichael are in any way new to the music business, boasting most impressive CVs) is a soothing, tranquil offering. Ahh!
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