Leeds' James Dey is releasing an EP for each season in 2019. Following on from his superb 'Spring EP', comes the equally fine 'Summer EP'.
Dey has pulled a master stroke on this EP. Focusing on how love and fond memories emerge from the rare but cherished warmer days of the UK, he has taken the personal and made them universal.
The loving nostalgia on 'Him For Her' will take you to the place where you and your loved one are the only care in the world. Dey takes in the insignificance of human without a trace of melancholy and builds layers of love upon the characters. It is only fitting that, Dey adopts an Elliot Smith style for this hand in hand stroll along the beach.
His Smith influences join forces with The Beatles on 'The Nettles Looked Nice Today'. There is a warmth here that showcases a warmth and talent that should be recording in Abbey Road.
'Awake' lifts Dey to the level where those who could fund that project, will find it hard not to do so. The gentile guitars alongside the slow moving traffic takes a dull Uk town on a hazy afternoon and paints it full of colour!
As the world looks back at 'Definitely Maybe', 'The Holy Bible', 'Dummy' and 'Dog Man Star' 25 years on, 'Awake' creates a sound scape worthy of overlaying a montage of those hopeful days. 'Awake', although calming in presence, is the sound of young hearts searching their minds, reaching for identities as yet unfounded on long summer nights.
With two more EPs to come, Dey has set the bar impressively high to match them.