Already having acquired a substantial collection of EPs and singles – a discography that has been ever-growing since the release of ‘Pockets’ in 2017 – the Leicester five-piece are both exceptionally unique and captivating with each release.
The act’s hometown couldn’t get much further away from a beach if it tried, and so much of frontman Murray Matravers’ inspiration came from being stuck inside during recent lockdowns.
Their long-awaited debut album runs just over 30 minutes long – leaving us wanting more as always – and is the perfect summer soundtrack, with the band having secured a spot on Reading and Leeds’ Main Stage later this year. With no two tracks the same, Easy Life do not disappoint and, if anything, prove that they really are pioneers in the industry.
An unconventional and, at first, seemingly erratic intro kickstarts the album and the opening track, ‘A Message To Myself’. This attention-catching opener soon welcomes Matravers’ vocals, accompanied by a strong beat and angelic backing, before slowing to flow into the remainder of the album’s awe-inspiring tunes.
The cheekiness and carefree beach vibes shine through on tracks ‘Have A Great Day’ and ‘Skeletons’, with fan favourites (‘Daydreams’, ‘Nightmares’) reappearing in the debut, because, let’s face it, they’re too well-loved to be left out of the highly anticipated release.
Matravers’ is not to be mistaken for a songwriter who cannot explore deeper themes, however, as he tackles both his mental health and being a hopeless romantic in his lyrics (‘Living Strange’, ‘Lifeboat’). His talent is undoubtedly abundant and highlights the act’s idiosyncratic, yet remarkable, take on modern music.
‘Ocean View’ is itself a dreamy composition that takes you on Matravers’ melancholic relationship troubles, whilst he maintains his charismatic, comical character (“Life’s a beach, I’m a sexy beast”). It also features a sped-up sample of Emelia Ali’s ‘Loved The Ocean’ that truly puts the cherry on the cake and shows the track’s uniqueness from its predecessors and also those to follow.
Whilst the latter half of the debut features a much more sombre side to Matravers through his lyrical talent in both ‘Nightmares’ and ‘Homesickness’, the balance of the album in its entirety cannot be flawed. The band close with the addition of ‘Music To Walk Home To’ which is as chaotic as the opener, and very much reflected Matravers’ home life at the time. The frontman approaches the final, and longest snippet of the whole album, through spoken lyrics and describes a drunken walk home overseen by the many characters of the night, including two men dressed as bananas.
As always, Matravers takes you right on the journey with him, and is as captivating as ever. Even though this is an ultra-short shred of Easy Life’s musical abilities – and bearing in mind that this was all written during a time where nothing exciting happened at all – it leaves the mind wondering what treats the band have for us in the very near future.
Life’s A Beach is available to stream on all major music platforms and available to buy in both CD and Vinyl format from the band’s online store: https://shop.easylifemusic.
Easy Life embark on a small Record Store Tour in July, and will be performing at the following dates:
8th July 2021 – HMV x The Waterfront, Norwich
9th July 2021 – Vinilo x The Old Firestation, Bournemouth
11th July 2021 – Rough Trade Instore, Bristol
12th July 2021 – Vinilo x The Brook, Southampton
13th July 2021 – Cult Hero x Komedia, Brighton
14th July 2021 – Rough Trade East, London
15th July 2021 – Banquet Records x Przym, Kingston
17th July 2021 – HMV x The Vault Instore, Birmingham
18th July 2021 – HMV x The Empire, Coventry
19th July 2021 – Rough Trade x The Y, Leicester
21st July 2021 – Rough Trade x Metronome, Nottingham
23 July 2021 – Crash x The Wardrobe, Leeds
24th July 2021 – HMV x Arts Club, Liverpool
25th July 2021 – Action Records x Blitz, Preston
26th July 2021 – HMV x The Gorilla, Manchester
28th July 2021 – Bear Tree Records x The Leadmill, Sheffield
Lauren Whitehead
@laurenwhiteheadjourno @LaurenJourno_
IMAGE: EASY LIFE – LIFE’S A BEACH OFFICIAL ALBUM ARTWORK
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