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EP Review: Airling ‘Love Gracefully’

Words by Scenewave Australia - Published on September 19, 2014

Pieater’s latest release is a must for the hearts that need a good melting…  and entirely vital for anybody with ears. Airling’s Love Gracefully, is a diverse, wild and untamed stunner.

Loops, beats and a crystal clear voice, this EP is classically beautiful and the ultimate soundtrack for a love affair in the sun. First track ‘Ouroboros’ is a soulful way to start the record, gently preparing you for the depth to come. Spinning loops, dark howls and smooth, slow beats mark it as the future soundtrack to… graceful lovings. Layered vocals are the signature of the piece, until soft drums make their first appearance, realising the full beauty of the deconstructed masterpiece.

The tempo is turned up a notch in the second track, ‘By Thorns’. Heartbeat ridden and constantly building, the song tears you open leaving you exposed, only to be mended by the remainder of the record. ‘Wasted Pilots’ takes the third position on the release and rapidly declares itself the pop single. It features diluted synths under an anthemic chorus and verses promising the explosions to come.

How Airling manages to makes freakin’ drums so emotional is beyond me, but she does – and they’re the perfect segue into the song that put her on the map – ‘The Runner’. The most familiar of the singles on the release, it’s a true showcase of her raw vocal talent. It’s the track which also made everyone fall back in love with Tom Iansek, and his unrivaled production talents really shine throughout the final intricacies of the song (from about 3:09) an intimate dance of synths and gentle beats.

‘Where You Are’ might close the EP, but it opens them feels right back up. It is stripped back, raw and trembling. While most of the tracks on Love Gracefully open with beat-laden loops and breathy synths, this one heralds in a piano and a strong voice. It kind of feels like that bit at the end of a yoga class where everyone lies down just to breathe. It is the ideal ending; well placed and complete.

This is the most mature, developed and entirely magnificent debut to come out this year.

5/5 wailing sing-a-longs.

Tour Dates (supported by Jasia)

Friday 17th October – MELBOURNE, Shebeen
Saturday 18th October – SYDNEY, Brighton Up Bar
Friday 24th October – BRISBANE, The Brightside

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