POEME – Blue (2021)
As we get older, the identity we built through childhood starts to change and evolve. This formation of identity, or reformation, is the basis of POEME’s EP Blue. Using an honest and authentic sound, they consider saying goodbye to childhood dreams understanding that their mentality has to change and merging aspects of our identity to make something new.
Part of a small mini-project using colours as stand-ins for emotional states, this EP draws on dark, dreamy electro-punk sounds. Somewhat unconventional, the unique sound of their music makes it exciting and strangely easy to connect with. While unique, the sound draws on POEME’s experience with the guitar and piano which has been enhanced by their new knowledge of digital music-making.
‘Whirlwind’ opens the EP with a realisation and some very dramatic piano tones. The dramatic flair to the music really grabs your attention as the creeping tones hum with a slightly gothic edge. POEME’s vocals sneak through the shadows and run an icy finger up your spine sending shivers racing down your skin. The melody drops for the vocals to tease at the edges of the senses before flowing into a wonderfully melodic line. You never quite know what is going to happen which makes the track more addictive than it has the right to be. Halfway through, the toe-tapping beats and electronic zips take over while you fall into the lyrical realisation that your mental state has changed and you need to adapt.
‘Where is Eden?’ has a more melodic movement from the first moment, but retains the touches of darkness that made their way into the opening track. There is a depth to the music that vibrates through you like you are standing too close to a loudspeaker. The constantly changing vocal delivery brings a merger of different parts of your identity to create something new or lose something, depending on how you see it. While merging elements of your identity, the vocals also bring a sad farewell to childhood dreams. When this shines through the soundscape, there is a bittersweet feeling that balances the understanding that you need to move forward and the pain of letting go.
The EP ends with ‘Aeon’ and the tender stripped-back melodics of the opening. There is a slow creep to the vocals that heads into a trembling spiral. The music has this warble to it that leads you to the really great guitar riffs. Through all of this is a shuffling dance that mimics a waltz with a slightly off-kilter feeling. As you move through the music, the vocals bring a request for autonomy and the distorted view of self that other people can have of you. The cascade of glittering tones leads to a heart-pounding sound that closes in on you. Throughout the song, there is a move from oppressive pounding to flittering and dancing lightness.
POEME brings an experimental and off-kilter tone to our ears while diving into different aspects of identity in Blue. The three tracks of the EP have different messages woven into unique soundscapes and told with strangely poetic lyrics. While unique, there is something that links each track bringing a sound that is purely POEME.
