SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JAMISON ISAAK – EP1

Jamison Isaak
EP1
Flora

Since 2010, Abbotsford, BC’s Jamison Isaak has been creating “compelling, melodic and atmospheric” music under a variety of guises: synth-poppy Teen Daze, dancey Pacific Coliseum, and folky Two Bicycles.  EP1 is Jamison’s stunning first release under his own name.

EP1’s beauty lies in its simplicity: four stripped down, spacious tracks of solo piano with subtle traces of string guitar over a gentle ambient reverb wash. Creaks of the piano are heard throughout the EP adding acoustic warmth. Faint plucked strings – I’m guessing from the piano harp – are audible in the opening track, “Sharalee”, a quiet lullaby, or as the EP1 suggests, a slow sunrise through the verdant pine forest of BC’s interior. The soft, familiar piano continues throughout EP1. “Wind” explores higher and a more melancholic theme, while “More” closes the EP with a hopeful, in-no-rush theme and variation.

For fans of Frahm and Arnalds, as well as Eno and Lanois, EP1 is a must-have for your collection. A beautiful, contemplative work made in Canada.

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