One of the many artists that Alchemical Records introduced me to that I listen to often is Euan Blackman. The singer-songwriter released his debut four-track EP, ‘You Are the Rain,’ drawing inspiration from the lo-fi aesthetic of ‘Nebraska’ by Bruce Springsteen. Euan wrote, recorded, produced and mixed ‘You Are the Rain’ entirely in his Liverpool bedroom studio with a pastel blue door and mastered by Jim Spencer in Eve studios.
Track one, ‘Everybody Lets You Down’ has some of the most relatable lyrics I have heard. “I know I’ve hurt someone on this road that I’ve been on/I’m sorry and I promise that I’ve grown/ And it’s alright/I guess everybody lets you down/Even I will let you down sometimes.” It is a fact of life that people grow and change. With that, it is very likely that as you do evolve, you are going to let some people down.
Track two, ‘Busy Doing Nothing,’ reminds me so much of a song by The 1975 in almost every way. Track three, ‘Bad Things’ feels like a coming-of-age moment with its mature lyrics about getting serious and the cool vibes of the instrumentals. The final track, ‘Cherry Stone,’ featuring fellow indie-folk star, Ben Stafford, is a beautiful close to this collection of evergreen songs.
Fans of The 1975, Phoebe Bridgers, Claude Debussy, and the folklore/evermore Taylor Swift era should take a listen as they go on a wistful road trip or stare out the window on a rainy day.
“You Are the Rain” is available now on major streaming platforms like YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
Find ‘Everybody Lets You Down’ on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify.
Maura Marcellino is studying business and environmental sustainability at George Mason University. When she is not studying, Maura enjoys listening to music and spending time with friends and family.
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