1st Base Runner – Light Roars (2022)
With his last EP Ellis, 1st Base Runner brought a lively sound to our ears as he packed moving percussion into bursts of bright choruses. He is following up with his latest EP, Light Roars, which offers an edgy, expansive and gothic atmosphere that swirls around the emotive lyrics of the track. With a darker touch, the EP showcases another side of his music, while reiterating his musical versatility.
While continuing his wonderful use of synths, live drums and larger guitars have been added to the sound, making the melodic flow heavier and more intense. Tim Husmann, the man behind the music, has also pulled together a full live band and recorded a live EP and video series, to be released this year. With this EP, he is really cementing his place as the artistic anti-hero we never knew we needed, but are happy to have.
The EP starts with the aptly titled ‘In the Beginning’ and the delicate tones of a piano. There is a lulling sense to the opening line that has you floating into the track. The vocals haze over the piano line with a poetic vibe that seems to come from all around you. The shuffling beats add texture to the piano line, before an edgier tone vibrates into life. The mixture of gothic touches, expansive vocals and edgy rock is masterful and really sets the bar for the rest of the EP. The haziness of the vocals evaporates as the main vocal line enters. As the track progresses, there is a swirl of synth tones that are pushed forward by the live drums, only to drop for the vocals. It is an amazing way to open the EP and effortlessly have you wanting to hear more.
‘Pushing Away’ has a more organic vibe to the opening, with the live drums and guitars that seem to be coming from another room. The space between you and the instrumentation catches your attention, before the heavier haze of the vocals settles on your shoulders. There is a really atmospheric feeling to the vocal performance that echoes out into the distance. Following the first flow of lyrics, the drums shuffle back into the room, before a glitter wash of tones leads you into a rising movement. The beats have a marching feeling to them that has you moving forward, only to fall backward into the softness of the vocals. It is an intriguing single that has you tumbling through the melody, only to sink back into an almost chilled vibe.
The combination of guitar and shuffling beats continues into the opening of ‘Dead Wood’ and will get your feet tapping to them. There is a darker feeling to this track, with the vocals creeping out of the shadows like inky tendrils that threaten to pull you into the darkness. While there is a heaviness to the darkness of this track, it retains the forward momentum that has been present in the other tracks. The higher notes have a retro vibe that is slightly eerie and creepy, adding to the darkness of the track. With these notes, you can feel your shoulders tensing as you look behind you for the creeping presence you can feel but not see. Later in the track, there is a run of notes that bubbles with a strange tension that bursts into the light retro tones of earlier.
‘Give Up the End’ opens with a sound snippet that gives way to the push of the guitar and the matching live drums. This is extremely catchy and has you bopping into the track, before you are caught by the vocals. There is a haziness to the vocals that brings a pastel cloud swirling into your brain that envelops you. The interplay between the hazy vocals and the driving melodies is wonderful as you are forced to float forward into the sparkling tones that take over the soundscape. There is a really dynamic movement in the melody that you are caught in but don’t actually want to exit. You very easily become committed to seeing where this is going to lead.
The EP comes to an end with ‘Planter’ and its light, almost dreamy, shoegaze vibe. There is a sparkle to the opening tones, like the twinkling of stars or the fluttering of fireflies. The vocals move between these sparkling tones with a sigh of wishes and dreams. As these light tones drop, they are replaced with the driving live drums that bring a completely new vibe to the vocals. The sigh of longing turns into something that could easily spiral into darkness and obsession. This is enhanced by the synths that bring that creeping eeriness back to your senses. At times, there is a twilight feeling to the melody that turns into the darkest nights, but this is tempered by the wash of dreamy tones.
Through the mix of live drums and electronic tones, 1st Base Runner brings an edgy and gothic vibe to the slightly creepy tracks of Light Roars. Each track has a different feeling while retaining the atmospheric flows of the EP as a whole. The use of instrumentation is masterful on this EP as they swirl with shadows, yet bring the expansiveness of gothic rock to life.
Find out more about 1st Base Runner on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
