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Reviews

Echo Us — Inland Empire
(Absolute Probability EU09.05AP, 2023, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-05-16

Inland Empire Cover art

Echo Us is back with another album of lush, atmospheric, intelligent music, by my count the seventh. Inland Empire continues to refine the sophisticated aesthetic Ethan Matthews has been developing over the decades. With the exception of bass on one track, Matthews plays all the instruments himself, as well as handling programming and vocals. For listeners who prefer “music played by people together in a room,” Echo Us presents an interesting dilemma. This music is so far removed from what an actual band would — or could — play that it’s almost impossible to judge by that kind of criteria. I suppose it could be performed by a chamber orchestra augmented with several keyboard players, guitarists, and singers as well as a hefty percussion section. Very few of the tracks feature anything resembling a drum kit, leaning towards either symphonic percussion, hand drums, or electronic sounds. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, fans of Mike Oldfield will likely find some commonality, and given the high-tech sheen on Inland Empire, I might say it’s like a modern interpretation of something like Five Miles Out or Crises, but I wouldn’t take the comparison too literally. The production values are stellar, and the compositions are smartly arranged, full of beautiful detail meticulously rendered. I suppose that takes it out of the running for the current pop charts, but that’s outside my control. Echo Us has carved out a niche that’s somewhere between pop and rock and world music, and it’s a fascinating place to hang out.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Echo Us / Ethan Janais

More info
http://echous.bandcamp.com/album/inland-empire

 

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