Ancient Monster by Julien Delaye: EP Review
Epic and incredibly resonant, French artist Julien Delaye makes a solid impression with his EP “Ancient Monster.” Hearing each song in this collection made me rethink all the tropes of indie and blues rock. Julien’s work is quite distinct and mixes in his own take on the blues genre, pertaining to desert rock mostly. Imagine a desolate land with nothing but dust and a few wanderers. Some are aligned with violence and some with harmony, the latter half sings folk tunes that vibe with that desert aesthetic. Such is the essence of “Ancient Monster.”
The EP opens up sensationally with “Ancient Monster” and “My Dictionary”, two gripping songs filled with teeth-grinding guitar lines. The cathartic vibe I got from both tracks, especially the first one’s phased-out riffs were simply breathtaking and it’s taken my mind off more troublesome aspects of life. Pleasantly distracted, the bluesy almost cowboy-esque acoustic grit of “My Dictionary” was such a jam! I’ve been itching for the kind of genre Julien composes, because there’s just this mysterious notion I favor for the kind of atmosphere desert rock creates.
Aside from the bluesy instrumentation, the EP’s more storytelling focus comes striding in “Brothers In Arms.” The singer takes on a weighty baritone technique followed by emotional guitar passages. All in all, the tune’s essence arriving from faded organs and a soft drum arrangement makes it wholesome and gives it a dark persona that is simply beautiful to experience.
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Review by: Damien Reid