Quality over Quantity
Projecting Latvian melancholy through the prism of an American culture
«EZIA», also known in the Latvian latitudes as Elīza Ašmane, has released an album, «Cycles». This is her first creation of the recording sort, which came to be after spending four years in the USA, New York, graduating from «The New School of Jazz», where Elīza drew inspiration from the birthplace of R’n’B and jazz music. Genre-wise, the album sits at the epicenter of a multi-part Venn diagram. The sound palette and performance aesthetic are mainly characterized by R’n’B and neo-soul genres. Evaluating the style of the album, we see House music dance floor vibes sometimes appearing; some special parts demonstrate Elīza’s long-term experience in jazz, in which the singer demonstrates complete voice control during improvisations and lyrical vocalizations. We can also observe a very special relationship between the drum and the bass part — a close-knit rhythmical family that is quite typical for the aforementioned genres of R’n’B and neo-soul. Every now and then, a jazzy harmony creeps in, which often veers modally, convincing the listener that this is the product of educated jazz musicians. The technical performance of the album is as high-quality as the musical, maintaining the intimate bedroom-pop atmosphere and warmth but without losing the clarity of the recording quality.
Nowadays, when the amount and availability of information are so pervasive, the lines between genres seem to be blurring. It is not really possible to place music in one or even a few genres; rather it is possible to isolate elements and follow their tracks like a detective. The overall sound is a beautiful fusion where, most often, all elements are in harmonious proportions.
The album’s lyrical content mostly describes the dynamics of a cyclical nature, both in relations with fellow human beings and with oneself and one’s own experiences. Mostly art and music themes often fall on the spectrum of love and hate or heartache, and this album is no exception. In general, judging the drama of the album, the beginning and the end are enclosed in cycles; there is a middle curve that leads from heartache to peace — a circle is formed, and that forms a convincing artist’s vision of the album’s message, everything seems to be arranged correctly and accurately.
«Cycles intro»
The album unfolds in the form of an almost mantra that grounds both the listener and the artist. Aware of the cyclical nature of life, one must face a new day with an open heart, expecting everything and nothing at the same time, realizing that after the sun comes the moon; after joy comes sadness. The composition is filled with a rich percussive palette, including the first dance music’s rhythm example — the «four on the floor» bass drum pattern, thick bass notes, and a penetrating piano ostinato that underlines the meditative message.
«Yesterday Go Away»
This is a composition that demonstrates how well the artists understand the dynamics and ear hooks popular music has to have. There are well-thought-out contrasts between the extended build-up sections in the interludes and the prickly and bouncy rhythm textures in the verses. Here too, a wide range of percussive tones and effects dominates, with, for example, the whistle being a regular feature. There is also a major trait of dance music — extended dynamic rises and faster dynamic departures between them. In terms of content, the piece tells a story of regret, learning from one’s mistakes, escaping yesterday, and leaving it behind. Once again, usual cyclical aspects of human nature.
«Hands»
A composition that spares no resources in searching for all possible rhymes in such syllables as -ends, -ands, -ance. The biggest hook of the piece is the deviation of the vocalized melody in the interlude stages and at the end of the piece. These types of interludes, in my opinion, demonstrate Elīza’s strongest compositional skills — to create bite-sized melodies that stick to the listener; these melodies are very well complimented by the mix of production style and genre in this album. The soundscape continues to be dominated by constantly thickening accompanying elements, backing vocals, a wide assortment of percussion, and low-fi keys.
«Arise»
A low-fi groove ballad offers a sentimental deviation from the main vibe of the album. The composition is characterized by a much more minimal instrumental sound. The vocal performance and lyrical content are brought to the forefront, surrounded by backing vocals and velvety piano, as well as heavier textures in the percussion and bass accompaniment. Just like the music itself, the lyrics take on a mystical and nebulous form, becoming a subject to the listener’s interpretation.
«So Hard»
As is often the case, a faster, catchier track follows. The good and the best things happen in the pre-chorus. «First we see the best, then we see it all» is probably the most memorable hook of this album. The aforementioned Elīza’s talent for creating excellent, concise fusions of melody and lyrics stands out also in this piece. The music remains in memory from the first listening. On the other hand, wallpapers with words that decorate verses seem to justify themselves less. The content is a bit clichéd, taken, it seems, from the thesaurus of love — kisses, touches, touching the sky with the wings of love, breaking up, etc. The words seem to be like a frame that encloses the music. The lyrics of this song are like a puzzle, where finding the beginning and the end of the story was more challenging than in other compositions, but I always appreciate the music. The guitar debuts in a rising culmination motive, which brings a fresh taste to the previous mix of synthesized instruments.
«That Morning»
Right in the middle of the album, listeners are greeted by a composition with the R’n’B aesthetic and heavier instrumentation in the rap verses. Exploring and listening to the album is also made more interesting by some peculiar choices in the structure of the compositions; there are verses and choruses, but there are also additional parts that follow before or after the choruses. Also, in this piece, the post-chorus has a peculiar and exciting deviation, decorated with the aesthetics of the low-fi piano and the hook of «It took ten ice cream boxes», which stuck in my ears for a long time.
«Yesterday Go Away pt. 2»
Moving on with the already taken R’n’B path, the following track is almost like a rap cadence from Elīza herself. Although short, this piece gives the impression of a genuine and confident R’n’B performance. I didn’t want it to end. It’s nice to delve into the rhythmic relationship between lyrics and accompaniment, creating a smooth flow that stretches and pushes the rhythmic clock in a hip-hop style.
«Sinking»
In my opinion, this one is the sleeper hit of the album, which is closer to the dance genre. The composition can be described as more meditative, creating a trance-like mood. A slightly asymmetrical ostinato that stops on the last sixteenth note gives a slightly faltering yet forward-driven rhythmic inertia. The culminating part of the motif is decorated with a minor guideline, which sometimes surprises — instead of the expected whole tone, there is a semitone. Among all these elements, there is an ostinato in the high tessitura, which creates a delicate rhythmic mosaic. At the climax of the piece, the aesthetics of the dance floor dominates in the kick-drum pulse. This is probably my favorite track on the album.
«Candles and Bubbles»
The dance mood continues with the track with a seemingly live drum kit. Departing from trance music, the piece approaches the Drum and Bass style. The lyrical content also takes on lighter shades — conflicts and heartaches are replaced by candles and bubbles. Elīza’s ability to improvise is demonstrated by a fantastic language of phrases and control over intonation, even in the most expressive moments.
«Differently»
At the end of the album, we are met by the most «entertaining» track with a «groovy» synergy of bass and drums, a fantastic hook, followed by a small «half-time» deviation, and, at the culmination, harmonic freedom performed on keys. All the strongest elements of this album are contained in this single track.
«Cycles outro»
Somewhat predictably, the album ended with a beautiful mantra that invites you to let go of your tight grip on the unchanging and unpredictable nature of fate — to keep doing your best, release your wishes into the universe, and believe that whatever is meant to happen will happen.
I listened to this album with great joy and will definitely continue to listen to it. Every time I was a little surprised by how quickly it was over — 35 minutes in total. But «all the salt» is not in quantity, but in goodness. Instead of recording an album with twice as long a tracklist, it’s a greater pleasure to listen to a more crystallized essence of an artist’s vision, where each track has recognizable events and specific ideas that distinguish them from one another. Without knowing, one would not think that the album was recorded by Latvian musicians. In my opinion, this is not that important since I do not believe that Latvians are the main audience for this music. I admit that this album stands out in the context of Latvian music with a very strong identity in the niche of the relevant genre. The US is the country where R’n’B and neo-soul originated, so it’s hard to predict how this album will do in the big music market. «Cycles» is a very high-quality, thought-through debut performance — several musical events stay in memory. On the genre spectrum, the music represents many different fields, which is at once a fantastic thing for music lovers who voluntarily immerse themselves in the art but perhaps a little confusing for the democratic radio patrons.
4.5/5