Evan de Roeper – Lavender (2022)
Devotion is something that many people dive into head-first, while others are more tentative, or don’t feel confident enough to devote themselves to someone fully. These emotions have been picked up by Evan de Roeper and woven into the tracks of his EP Lavender. Inspired by the colour and flower of the title which symbolises devotion in flower language, he considers all aspects of devotion, from giving in to this, to what happens when it all ends.
Thoughtful, introspective and slightly melancholic, the tracks are a wonderful mixture of RnB and pop. Music is something that has always been a part of de Roeper’s life as he started learning the piano at an early age. His enthusiasm for musical improvisation helped him develop his compositional skills and led to the merger of various styles that make up his current sound.
The EP opens with ‘Call My Name’, with a rich sound that draws you into a rather melancholic ambient zone. The shuffling beats that rise in the low level of the track move you forward into the vocals. His voice has a smooth RnB flow that curls around your senses as he pulls you into the emotions of the track. There is a serious sadness to the vocal performance as the lyrics consider the fading magic of a relationship. He weaves a sense of devoting yourself to someone, only to realise that this might not be enough to make the relationship last. The rap vocals that hit at the end of the track are an interesting shift in the performance and highlights the versatility of his vocals.
The title track ‘Lavender’ has a running feeling to the opening that sweeps you off your feet and catches you in the movement. The vocals are completely different to the opening track as they bring this pulsing bounce to the delivery. Across the verses, the melody drops in sound to allow the vocals to really shine and push you into the story of the lyrics. Between the verses, the music rises slightly, while strings make their way into the melody over time. It is an interesting interplay between the vocals and the melody. Through the lyrics, de Roeper pulls you into a dance of romantic potential, lies and tentative connections. The piano interlude later in the track is wonderful and adds a wonderful break to the story of the lyrics.
‘By My Side’ uses a delicate piano line to get your attention, before a swell of electronic tones lifts it up. The softness of the piano line is reflected in his vocals as he considers not wanting to devote yourself to someone. The strings that call through the melody are perfectly bolstered by the synths. The melody is a great combination of organic instrumentation and almost ambient electronics. This merger cradles his vocals and allows the uncertainty of the lyrics to sink into your soul. The lyrics wonderfully encapsulate wanting someone by your side, while not settling down forever. Through his performance, you can feel the conflicting emotions warring against each other.
‘Midnight Drive’ brings a melancholic edge to the piano opening that is taken to another level by the horns. There is a twilight hue to the music, like the night is creeping in and the sun slowly fades from vision. Through all of this, the lyrics bring a haunting sensation to the track as they look at trying to get someone out of your head, but failing miserably. He brings the desire to rid yourself of thoughts about this person, but also wanting to hang on to the memories, even if they bring pain. The vocal delivery is subdued and almost fragile, which enhances the emotive flow of the single. At times, the melody drops to let the vocals turn into a whisper on the wind.
The EP comes to a close with an acoustic version of ‘Call My Name’. The piano line that opens this version is more melancholic. With just de Roeper’s vocals and the piano melody, the single gains a new dimension of emotional poignancy. Through his performance, you are inundated with the pain of being in a relationship that is not what you thought it would be. The heartache and hurt that comes with the fading of what made a relationship wonderful is laced into each word. This is definitely the track of the EP that will leave you in emotional tatters.
Evan de Roeper dives into different aspects of devotion, from falling head-first into a relationship to being uncertain about commitment, through the tracks of Lavender. Each track has a different feeling as they move through the faces of devotion and bring the emotions that follow. While they are all different, the tracks carry a stunning emotional hit that shines through the varied vocal performances.
Find out more about Evan de Roeper on his Instagram and Spotify.
