It’s well known sometimes life throws people through loops. Sometimes the best medicine to help deal with loopy woes thrown is to simply step back and reassess; to grasp a different view on the situation(s) before diving back in to conquer them head forward. Keyboardist Joshua Scott Cochran of Murfreesboro’s Sky Hi has utilized this solution-based instrospection with his first solo release outside of our town’s local house funk band (and a few DJ-ing projects) in his 6 track The Fade E.P. set for release Oct. 2 in collaboration with Invincible Zen Recordings and GED Soul Records.
The Fade E.P. “represents a personal journey through sadness, betrayal, loss, and loneliness, but which ultimately culminates in acceptance and determination,” according to Cochran, in a “chillwave”, or organic electronic pop manner, such as a mix between Sigur Ros and Air.
Recorded in pretty much any space possible over a five year period, The Fade begins with the title track that puts the listener right into Sigur Ros territory while the cello and softly brushed snare drum of Damon Scott relaxes into simplistic Air-ish Wurlitzer fingering driven by the cliché introductory lyrics, “Please allow me to introduce myself,” but instead of HOV, it’s true this E.P. begins on a depressing note as “Fade” eventually falls into the chant “Everything you know will fade away,” but, fortunately, it’s sung to a soft blend of instrumentation one would probably want to hear driving alone down the freeway with the windows down in the wee hours of a summer night.
The two following tracks, “Every Living Creature,” and “The Old Woodshed,” supply lyrical drear just as much as the title track, but instrumentally expand with a fine blend of gentle acoustic guitar pickings and accentuations of Cochran’s key abilities as several types of synthesized and organ fingerings blend together under a forming vocal similarity to Elliott Smith. The guy has a great ear for a build-up during these tracks, too.
But just when you thought everything was going to stay down in the slump, the instrumental “Wintertime Blues,” misleadingly follows with an up-tempo, Flobot-ish drum progression holding up about four layers of Cochran’s synthetic and organ-ized key phrases.
The final two tracks, “Not Afraid,” and “Mistake,” stand as proof stepping back introspectively can bring about some peace and solutions. Still Elliott Smith related, “Not Afraid” opens with synthesized cellos, such as “Fade,” but immediately becomes a poppy upbeat rock with the opening lyric, “I’m not afraid of you people anymore,” while the final, “Mistake,” sets itself in an ’80s synthesizer groove with an up-tempo drum machine and lyrics such as, “Something up there is looking out for you,” during the chorus. He’s just wanting to “fill you up with love,” on this one.
Though just 6 tracks, The Fade E.P. will not disappoint during an interstate trip and one might even find themselves dazing out in a head-bob without even realizing it, asking, “Wait, who was that?” before calling the radio station to find out.
For a copy of The Fade E.P., visit skyhifunk.com to find The Invincible Zen Productions link. There’s a possibility copies of the album will be sold at the merchandise tables at Sky Hi shows around town this fall.
