The second installment of My Epic’s two-EP project finds the group unleashing the catharsis that they spent Ultraviolet holding back. And once they let go, they don’t stop.
While Ultraviolet found the group restraining themselves, Violent finds them as heavy and unhinged as they’ve ever been.
After hearing My Epic’s name in the periphery of my awareness for years, the project that finally drew my attention was Ultraviolet, one half of a pair of EPs.
While their M.O. has always drawn heavily on experimentation, the Ultraviolet/Violence project finds them restricting themselves to specific elements of their palette.
Ultraviolet, the softer of the two, leans heavy into dream pop, electronica, and ambient post rock, without losing any of their edge.
A debut record is an awkward thing. A debut record might sound absolutely nothing like what the band becomes—awkward, fumbling outings like Sigur Ros’ Von or Radiohead’s Pablo Honey that arrive aimless and formless.
But every once in a while, a debut record comes around that, as it is said, “arrives fully formed.” It presents the group’s intentions with laser focus, introducing a clear picture of their artistic mission.
Having seen My Epic a handful of times in the last year, I can assure you that I Am Undone is one of those debuts.
For a little bit in the late 2000s, it seemed like “chamber pop by a classically trained female multi-instrumentalist that used to be in Sufjan Stevens’ touring band” was posed to become its own genre.
And while St. Vincent’s Annie Clark has found the most enduring success out of that crowd, I’m not sure anyone has topped My Brightest Diamond’s stunning second record.
Let me tell you about my friend Joe.
Joe and I met at our small Christian college over a decade ago (Facebook actually reminds me that today is our ten-year friendiversary. Since then, he has made a reputation for himself as an impeccable stop-motion animator, making music videos for bands like Caveman, Wilco, Sufjan Stevens, and the Roots.
On top of working with such esteemed artists, he’s an incredible musician himself.
In 1998, the Appleseed Cast released The End of the Ring Wars. It was a shockingly mature work for a debut, offering a stunning mix of pop punk hooks, post rock compositions, and hardcore energy.
But it’s especially more impressive when you realize that they’ve done so with an unparalleled consistency. Across their catalog, there are no lulls, no dips, no records that their fanbase would rather just ignore. In fact, if you get five Appleseed Cast fans together and ask for their favorite record, you might get five different answers, each with respectable arguments for their choice.
I say all of this to drive home an important statement.
The Fleeting Light of Impermanence might be their best ever.
Some albums don’t need a follow up. They stand firmly upon their own two proverbial legs, singular icons that echo into eternity, transcending everything else the artist does.
Loveless is one of those albums. It cemented My Bloody Valentine’s legacy even without a follow up.
And for a long time, it finally felt like that follow up would never come. Then once it did, it was met with apprehension. After all, how do you follow up a record as sublime and transformative as Loveless?
Often, when a record is treated with mythology and laudation, the actual music itself fails to stand up to its own legend.
Despite being an icon in every regard, Loveless doesn’t have the same struggle. It is a glistening masterpiece that transcends every level of the myth surrounding it.
A lot of people talk about My Bloody Valentine as if they emerged from the ether in 1991 with the masterpiece Loveless.
Not only is that a drastic oversimplification, but it also ignores Isn’t Anything, which is a wonderful record in its own right.
Let’s get one thing straight from the get-go: Jim Henson is a genius of the highest order. While his more realistic character work in movies like Star Wars, the Ninja Turtles movie, or Labyrinth has no peer, his real legacy is in The Muppets.
And when you think about it, the Muppets really have no business being as timeless and transcendent as they are. Nowhere is that more evident in 1979’s The Muppet Movie and its accompanying soundtrack.