Ian West – Songs Eila Won’t Dance To (2021)

Are you in the mood for an EP packed with alternative Americana music across five very different and distinct tracks? This is exactly what Ian West has to offer with his EP Songs Eila Won’t Dance To. Across the tracks, he brings electrified acoustic tones only to swing into melancholic folk and attitude-packed Americana rock.

Each track is a breath of fresh air that injects passion into your veins while grabbing your attention. Drawing on influences from across the years, West (vocals, guitar) is joined by Mike Little (drums, backing vocals), Dan Stoeckel (bass) and Sean Parker (lead guitar). West, Little and Parker have been playing together on and off for years with Stoeckel being a newer addition to their musical fusion.

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The EP opens with ‘Mountain Nursery’ and West’s vocals grab your attention. His voice has this perfect Americana vibe with a touch of rock and folk woven in. The movement of the song is set by his performance with the strummed guitar adding a steady pulse of tones in the lower levels. You easily start bopping to the music as your feet tap along to the rhythm. Through all of this, the lyrics have a serious message that we should all be listening to. The swirl of imagery through the lyrics and West’s performance brings a touch of old-school tones to the song while being unbelievably modern at the same time.

‘Damaged Gods’ has a brasher and more attitude driven sound. The punch of the melody carries over the bopping vibes of the opening track before hitting you with some serious Lou Reed vibes. West’s vocals gain a rasp of rock as he dives into the somewhat cynical lyrics. The guitar that rides the beat of the drums is wonderful and brings a whole new dimension to this track. This track is so different to the opening one, but there is this strange thread woven into the middle layers that connect them. There is a really interesting spiral to the lyrics that draw you into this really strange yet enjoyable movement.

Heavier Americana vibes ring through the plucked opening of ‘Ego Deep’. There is an almost Western roll to the music like the opening of an old cowboy western film. West’s vocals change to match this feeling as he brings the dusty desert to our ears. The acoustic tones of the guitar call out over the gallop of the drums. Through the slightly surreal lyrics, there is an important message that is waiting for you to pluck it out of the electrified movement. There is a really addictive feeling to the melody that fills your senses while making you want to bounce around to the sound. There is no way that you can listen to this track and not want to turn the volume up.

‘Down the Stream’ takes a completely different route with a melancholic folk opening. The strummed acoustic guitar that fills the first moments of the track draws you to the ground before the vocals roll across your skin like morning mist. While the acoustic guitar and vocals bring the wash of melancholy, the rhythmic movement beneath them is really enjoyable. It makes you want to close your eyes and just sway to the rhythm. This movement bursts into a cascade of evaporating tones before rising from the dust it left behind. The lyrics are as melancholy as the movement of the melody and made more powerful by the slightly depressed delivery of the vocals.

The EP comes to an end with the steady strum of ‘Broken Mirrors’. Through the opening, the Americana drive of ‘Ego Deep’ comes back before throwing you into a folk-rock movement. West’s vocals have a bite and punch to them that works so wonderfully with the roll and push of the music. There is a slightly off-kilter feeling to the melody at times but this is given direction by the vocals. Every element of the track comes together for the most enjoyable listening experience possible that has you bopping and feeling the emotions of the track. These emotions range from a strange feeling of disconnection to the push of aggression and apathy with the modern world.

Ian West brings five very different tracks together for Songs Eila Won’t Dance To bringing freshness and passion to Americana sounds. Each track is delightfully new in its movement while getting you bopping and swaying to the rhythm. West’s vocals shine with versatility as he swings his performance to match the new movement of the music.

Find out more about Ian West on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.