With an eye (no pun intended) for atmosphere and a penchant for gloomy synth and guitar textures, EYE, led by singer and guitarist Jessica Ball, capture and release intense emotions through their introspective blend of sounds reminiscent of artists as wide-ranging as Portishead, A.A. Williams and Electric Wizard. Already accomplished in the world of low and slow metal through her work as singer of North Wales based sci-fi doom band Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Ball shows off a new side of her repertoire on EYE’s debut album Dark Light.
From the first dramatic synth notes of intro track ‘Window’, it’s clear that EYE are something special, with deliberately paced stoner rock energy meshing seamlessly with lush synths and punchy, lo-fi drums in a match perfectly formulated for dark emotive music. Droning synths and trip-hop style electronic drums elevate Ball’s soaring vocals and crunchy guitar, interweaving with carefully placed threads for a complex sonic tapestry. While fans of her previous work may be shocked by this change in tone, open minded listeners will be treated to an album swimming in the same kind of dark atmosphere that Ball’s voice suits perfectly.
While Dark Light excels at creating dark, gloomy atmospheres, EYE do find time to let loose and throw down some thunderous riffs. Although undoubtedly not a metal project, on tracks like lead single ‘In Your Light’, which builds up from wavering introspection to passionate hope through its roaring, distorted guitar riff, or ‘See Yourself’, again ramping up slowly from a lone clean guitar to a fuzzed-out wall of noise, EYE prove that there’s more to them than just dreary ambience. It’s refreshing to hear a band that understands the slow crescendo, the heavy moments are so much more cathartic after a steady build up than if they’d just flown out the gate with blast beats and chugs.
“It’s refreshing to hear a band that understands the slow crescendo, the heavy moments are so much more cathartic after a steady build up than if they’d just flown out the gate with blast beats and chugs.”
The track ‘Respair’ has to be singled out as one of the high points among EYE’s catalogue so far, balancing a post-rock level of attention to atmosphere with deeply personal lyrics and an unrivalled sense of melody. As one of the longer tracks on Dark Light, clocking in at just over 5 minutes, ‘Respair’ has plenty of room to breathe and grow, setting Ball’s voice against a backdrop of delicate lead guitar lines, shuffling drums and thick, droning synths. Lyrically this track carries on one of the album’s strongest themes, the juxtaposition of darkness and light, with the line “It’s dark out” being repeated like a gloomy mantra and fitting perfectly with its sombre sonic context.
Dark Light ends on a powerful one-two punch to the gut on its two closing tracks, going out on a high note with the noisy, fuzzy ‘See Yourself’ and the restrained, stripped back ‘Rescue You’. The first of these tracks begins quietly, taking its first timid steps with a subdued synth line and steady clean guitar before exploding into a cacophony of distorted guitars, powerful doom metal drums and layer upon layer of rattling, glitching synths creating a huge contrast against the track’s unassuming intro. Ending the album on a quiet, personal track like ‘Rescue You’ is a bold move after subjecting the listener to fuzzy sonic chaos but it’s a move that pays off, stripping the layers away to just a guitar, vocals and a little bit of ambience for Dark Light’s most poignant moment.
While those coming into EYE from bandleader Jessica Ball’s doom metal work will get enough bleak atmospheres and heavy riffs to keep them content there’s a wonderfully open and varied album underneath all the layers. Dark Light delivers on its promise beautifully, smashing together contrasting styles to create a moving and passionate sonic journey.