Emerging London based artist Land Mass showcases a thoughtful sound full of candid writing and shifting dynamics on debut EP Fading
A collection of tracks that were never intended to be released publically, Fading is the debut release from Land Mass, the brainchild of London-based artist Greg Zucker, an atmospheric and often haunting EP that was created to help the artist navigate his way through life’s challenges and some global events he was struggling to process at the time.
There is an instantly vulnerable deeply personal feel to the EP’s stripped back opener ‘Green Parakeet’, a track that sees the artist candidly laying out some of his fears and worries about being a burden as it gradually opens out into a broader sense of scope musically. The track does a really great job of setting the tone for the EP and the kinds of cathartic and moving moments that he articulates so well.
‘Trojan Horses’ follows and has a bit more of fully-formed and hooky feel to it stylistically, embracing a poppier feel that juxtaposes itself masterfully with a narrative that surrounds themes like inner conflict and the mental battles that we undergo in our relationships. The more melodic feel of the track feels almost unsettling at times, and it makes for this really interesting dichotomy and sense of depth and multi-faceted appeal that makes for a really interesting listen that works on a range of levels.
The sense of pacing and the range of dynamics is something that the artist seems to understand innately throughout the EP, knowing exactly when to up the tempo or hit the breaks from track to track, and even within the tracks themselves, and the atmospheric ‘Evader’ unfolds like a moody Radiohead-y track that is full of quirks and shifting textures alongside a despondent vocal performance that continues to add additional layers and facets to the release.
The emotional crux and expansive beating heart of the EP comes in the form of ‘I’ll Follow You’, a track that finds the artist at his most immersive and daring, taking listeners on a six-minute long journey that takes its time to build and swell in careful and truly resonating fashion. There is a longing quality in the vocals and lyrics that really strikes a chord with you as a listener, and the way that the serenity of the soundscape eventually gives way to more hard-hitting sounds feels richly deserved and rewarding.
The EP comes to a close with the thoughtful ‘Head On The Ground’, a track that feels like a moment of clarity and introspection following some of the hardship and the range of themes and ideas that have came before it on the EP. The track sees the artist confronting some of the dark feelings that he has been experiencing and has a really candid and honest feel to it throughout, and it does a great job of tying things up and offering one last moment of cathartic and resonating release with the way that it climbs to its powerful apex instrumentally.
