Half Waif – Ephemeral Being Review

What does Half Waif sound like?

Moody indie pop designed to emotionally gut punch.

The review of ‘Ephemeral Being’ by Half Waif

A year after becoming a mum Half Waif returns with ‘Ephemeral Being’, a 5 track EP as a prelude to a full album to follow. Nandi Rose, the force and creator behind Half Waif says her life is a mixture of kitchen orchestra and choo-choo bath time. She wanted to merge the mother and the creator and doing so felt wonderful and strange.

Opening with ‘Service’, the album introduces us to an aural side of Half Waif. Organs, drifting musical cloud stream drones and delicate layered vocals make up the song. It is a heartfelt remembrance service and sets up the tone for the EP. Nandi is looking to make sense of this world for her newborn but she isn’t really finding sense – or answers – at all. Instead, she commits to keep looking for them and that’s what the lead single ‘Big Dipper’ is about. Using playful musical children’s toy motifs on the piano and celestial synth cascades, the drums and guitars are muted outside of the choruses. There is worldly wonder here but an intense scavenge for sense under the surface. You could almost use it for a child lullaby if the band parts were removed and it calls to that merger of mother and creator beautifully.

‘Heartwood’ is an experimental soft-spoken piece. Nandi’s voice is digitalized as she reads her lyrics like a poem with backing vocals singing them in sparse places. Underneath the vocals, a playful and fluid synth bubbles away and turns into a rustling metal. It is a beautiful piece that places a digital instance alongside an oak tree – sturdy and strong. How do you provide a strong foundation for your child? It seems even the trees want to be quartz instead. It is one of my favourite spoken word songs I’ve heard in years. ‘Ephemeral Being’ is all about the harp and tuned percussion. The low-slung indie pop beat and sound work a treat here. Whilst the vocal effects reduce the impact of the vocals, the way everything else is plucked or struck is like ear candy. Completing the EP is the ethereal synth piece ‘Dreaming of Bears’. The opening two minutes are a hazy synth stream before a creepy child synth voice enters the mix. Pixar went evil with this one but soon after Nandi returns as an entire choir to soothe the soul in an extravagant outro.

The switch to ethereal synths and playful child-like motifs is a great strength for this new era of Half Waif. Mother is definitely mothering on this release, providing a comfort blanket to make sense of the world. Some of the vocal effects will take some more time to bed in but I understand their intent. I love hearing how female musicians approach a mother album as there is no one way to approach it. Half Waif’s theme of making sense of the world with new responsibility is timely and universal. I think it’s a great approach. Put simply, ‘Ephemeral Being’ has whet my appetite for the forthcoming album.

Recommended track: Big Dipper

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