Courtesy of Insomnia by Howe: EP Review

by Damien Reid November 15, 2022

November 15, 2022

Courtesy of Insomnia by Howe: EP Review

Howe unveils an intriguing EP, Courtesy of Insomnia, filled with 7 distinctive songs that are a showcase of her songwriting and synth-pop-driven singing style. The songs may sound like melancholic thoughts of a wandering mind and a restless insomniac soul.

Cheyenne Ledbetter, the artist behind Howe is the one-man-army who carried this EP through and through and delivered this bedroom pop in a sleep-deprived state to add more character and depth to her songs. It defines the name of the EP and I like to think, her insomnia gave her voice a much more articulate tone. Due to the fact that each song is constructed and altered to numerous intriguing levels, there is not a single song in this EP that can be considered dull. With intense lyrics, the songs flow in slowly, captivating you into a world of darkness. About her EP, Ledbetter shares, “this EP is a dance between literal light and literal darkness and also how light and darkness, good and bad, life and death, are represented in our own thoughts.” The production of each track provides a number of intricate details that are pleasantly surprising in a positive way. The final song might be the most definitive number out of the seven songs.

As a debut EP, Courtesy of Insomnia is a great one to get hooked on especially for my sweet insomniacs. This is the perfect combination of melody, eerie bedroom pop, and somewhat ASMR-like. No doubt, Howe has a great musical journey ahead!