The 7thGatekeeper ushers the listener into an intimate and deeply emotional plane with their latest EP, ‘Time Alone Cannot Heal’. The collection features stripped down covers/ interpretations of ‘Nose on the Grindstone’ by Tyler Childers, ‘Take Me Away’ by Oasis, ‘Toxicity’ by System of a Down and ‘Good Riddance’ by Green Day.
All these tracks are marked by heavy instrumentals and gritty alt rock elements. However, in this collection The 7thGatekeeper intentionally moves away from layered instrumentals to a more acoustical presentation. Bringing with it an intimacy that ebbs and flows and draws you into a deeper plan of feeling.
‘Nose on the Grindstone’ has a notably solemn tone. It is melancholically contemplative. The vocal timbre is deep and in some places desperately human. With country/ Americana storytelling, the vocal timbre is left raw and exposed; and that’s where all the magic is. This interpretation takes you back to artists like Hozier and The Mountain Goats, artists who are known to explore hauntingly human spaces.
‘Take Me Away’ has a plush acoustic presence. Luminous and glinting, the track is meant to be all about the evocation. It’s as if something is trying to come out of the track. Slowly detailed, in a round about way, the storytelling forms at its own pace. The Americana character of this track is melodic and incredibly expressive in a way that is reminiscent of Jason Isbell and City and Color.
‘Toxicity’ forms with mellow instrumental chromatism. The buoyancy of the guitar acoustics is made weighty and emotionally powerful by the vocal presentation. Theatrical and full of performative allure, the inflections in the artist’s voice really details the thematic nuance. So the intensity of the original composition is retained, but interpreted with a more evocative flow.
‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ is a slow rise. An acoustical continuum that forms note by note. The vocals hold the depth of the emotion and stretch it into an expansive horizon of feeling. The listening experience becomes about savoring the lyrical flow and dwell in its nostalgia.
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The EP is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!
You can listen to ‘Time Alone Cannot Heal’ by The 7THGATEKEEPER here -
