<p><span><span>- E4’s intricate songwriting is apparent right from the first few tracks of his new record, <em>Autumnal Eve</em>. <em>Lightning Bolt</em>, a meditative slow burn, opens quietly, with a rustic, folky sensibility, before larger instrumentation swells from the song’s emotional core. Though the song grows in complexity, it never feels overburdened. <em>Blank Blue May</em> captures this transition in scope. The track opens with a drum solo that is washed out in the mix, allowing the instrumental segue to fade away like it was merely a passing truck on the freeway. It’s almost as if Vancouver’s <strong>Military Genius</strong> packed up his Lynchian art jazz and made a rock record with <strong>Big Thief</strong>. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The notion of <em>Burning</em>, both a reference to the devastation in New South Wales by the 2019 Bushfires, and those in preceding years, as well as the idea of a purge - a reset, takes shape in the cut that bears the name. E4 repeats “<em>You can always burn yourself</em>” over and over, almost desensitised by the phrase, while in the background, revolving synthesisers recall <strong>Radiohead</strong>’s <em>Kid A</em>. The influences and connections to E4’s music may be grander and more obvious than his own, but don’t think that makes his sound at all slight. It’s sensitive and nuanced. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>To describe E4’s <em>Autumnal Eve </em>as anything short of experimental would undersell his complex vision for the record. The sinews of rock and folk music are evident immediately, but it’s enriched by the subtler shades of electronica and emo that flow within. e4444e’s sophomore effort is closer to home than you may have initially thought, it’s not sentimental by the usual standards, rather in the process of searching for a greater meaning, for home. Complex musically and emotionally, e4444e’s <em>Autumnul Eve</em> will return every investment you make in it.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Sean Tayler.</span></span></p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1813202235/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="https://e4444e.bandcamp.com/album/autumnal-eve">Autumnal Eve by e4444e</a></iframe>