Jordan Reyne is a mesmerizing artist live and having watched her perform web conferences it’s great to see this four track EP release last week. It showcases her ability to loop her voice and other instruments over and over for a fantastic layered effect for just a solo artist.
“Dishonour Among Thieves” opens the EP with steady layering of vocal ticks, flicks and hums that build up a beautifully alluring sea of vocal waterfalls. They slide from ethereal to punchy when Jordan then sings over the top and add a microphone slap and a simple grunt of “bam” over the top. It’s so simple yet effective. A dark lullaby indeed. “Don’t Look Down” brings in a soft acoustic guitar that grows in strength along with the vocal chants that build in the second half. What starts out as a sombre folk song bursts into a rousing call to action and this is one thing Reyne does well when Live. “The Wall” is a personal favourite of mine of Jordan’s the looped element comes from the backing vocals which make the track feel like a pagan folk track and the lack of a bass element on the track gives this version a much more emotive angle. It’s delicate and pretty yet quite miserable at the same time. Can’t beat that really! The closing track “Shelter” is more complex on the guitar but rides a crest of emotions from quiet chord picking to strong bellows for safer times and the free form of the way how the ebb and flow is superb.
This is the lighter side of Jordan, without a lot of the industrial elements. Arguably that’s what makes her music sound so unique but hear she sounds mighty without them.