Hold On: An Answer To The EndlessEndlessEndless Pandemic
The New Year is a time of hope; a blank canvas we are given, upon which we can paint anything we can dream of. The New Year is a time of reflection; what, then, will we keep from last year’s canvas, which ideas will we carry over to our new canvas, and which will be put out on the curb with the tree and empty champagne bottles? We ask ourselves this, as we move from 2020 into 2021- wait, no, I’m sorry- as we move from 2021 into 2022- it is 2022 right?
I apologize, let me start over. Forgetting the date is not an uncommon mistake in the early months of the year, but right now it seems to sting a bit more. I won’t attempt to speak for you, but I know that I still feel the specter of 2020 following me wherever I go, regardless of the date on the calendar. That was the last time I- and probably many of us- felt truly “normal,” whatever that means. And as lockdowns and rules and variants and boosters ebb and surge like an off-beat waltz to an out-of-tune band, we are left with one big question:
Will this feeling be Endless?
Andrew Shults of Magic~Fingers has set out to explore that question on his new EP, Endlessendlessendlessendless(…). To be more precise, Andrew is exploring the endless nature of social media, something that we have all certainly become deeply aware of during the last two years. The EP is unique; it plays as one 8-minute-50-second-long musical suite, divided into four parts: Endless (1st), Endless (2nd), Endless (3rd), and Endless (Home). This idea plays out amazingly well in the format of an EP, bringing a level of artistic direction and clarity of purpose not often found in the short-format music tailored to satisfy Sp*tify’s all-knowing algorithm. It is basically a mini concept album, which is an idea I will almost certainly steal at some point in my musical journey (Thanks Andrew ;] )
The EP opens with Endless (1st). We are greeted by a fade-in of a soft-attacking synth melody, followed soon by a counter-melody on an electric piano and some massive, verbed-out kick drum beats. The soundscape here and throughout the EP are a clear jump above previous Magic~Fingers works, and the change is absolutely befitting Shults’s excellent lyrics and songwriting chops. Credit to producer Jake Marino, whose New Year’s Resolution last year MUST’VE involved diving deep into the world of mixing and honing his skills to a razor edge; and unlike most of us, Jake clearly stuck to his resolution.
After a beautiful guitar harmony hook, Shults’s aforementioned vocals enter. He sings of being “overwhelmed by the words that you’re hearing” while simultaneously being “underwhelmed by the thing that you’re seeing.” This poignant line hits home not only in the world of over-hyped social media marketing, rife with fake influencers hocking their curated experiences for a chance at your attention but also in the world at large; Regardless of your political leanings, I’m positive you can think of more than one time in the past two years where a leader said one thing and did another, wholly different and despicable thing.
I’ll quit editorializing for a minute to focus more on Andrew’s explicit message. He goes on to sing about the need to follow the latest pages and trends, and the “endless content to take you in”. This content is not only meant to catch your id in the strong undertow of viral marketing, but it also encourages you to begin putting out your own endless stream of content, in an attempt to swim against the current. You feel obligated to produce, lest your voice gets lost in the noise of a million echo chambers. The slowly building arpeggio and bass line remind you, though, that this is merely the first step on a musical journey.
Endless (2nd) begins with an anti-drop; everything drops out to solo a new motif on the tremolo’d keys, followed by another counter melody on synth flutes. This is a genius way to build suspense for the 2nd movement while leaving plenty of room to build for the big finale at the end of the EP. A filter sweep brings in Andrew’s next vocals: “This feeling of mine is endless, This waiting in line is endless, This moment in time is endless, This look in your eye is endless” the final “endless” is drenched in delayed self-oscillation, which gives way to…
Endless (3rd). A punchy synth bassline and an unapologetically hard drum machine beat. Lush synth pads envelop you and give a sense of massive space as Shults harmonizes his lyrics, and harmonized guitars make a return to act as musical contra-point to his dueling spoken and sung vocal lines. The lyrics here are identical to the lyrics in Endless (2nd), however, the new delivery of them makes them feel fresh. This movement continues to build layers of synths, guitars, and vocals, making it clear that the final act is just around the corner.
Endless (Home) opens with a simple-yet-funky drum machine groove, and an equally simple, almost nursery-rhyme-esque synth melody. The vibe is immediately catchy and more upbeat than the previous three movements, due in no small part to the featured musical influence on the track: none other than Redefining Record’s own Count Harriet (aka Jake Marino). Marino’s higher-pitched singing voice provides a nice contrast to Shults’ baritone and bass register, and his more pop-centric songwriting is a perfect fit for the end-of-album anthem track. The Count provides a ray of hope in the endlessendlessendless world; he encourages us to “hold on,” and reminds us not to sweep our own needs away or get “fully lost”. Some sweet fuzzed-out guitars harmonize and take us to the crescendo of the song in what can only be described as a delightfully George-Harrison-meets-Albert-Hammond-Jr. way.
Ultimately, Endlessendlessendless(…) EP just works. It takes a topic encapsulating the ennui and existential dread created by social media and made worse by the pandemic (and made worse again by social media) and handles it in a very manageable sub-9-minute EP. The thought of a mini concept album tickles me to no end, and I am happy to say that this proof-of-concept has set the bar high. Shults’ new techniques are impressive, as well as his ear for arrangement and beautifully complex and lush soundscapes that put the listener in a massive space. Count Harriet’s contribution to the record perfectly serves the concept, which is a testament to Shults’ maturity as a musician and composer. At the end of the day, neither I nor Andrew nor Jake can give you the answer on how to escape the feeling of endless limbo you might be feeling right now. But, this EP will at very least take you out of it for a few beautiful minutes.
