Elkyn - Something
After the recent success following his debut Beech EP and single If Only it Was Alright Now, Leeds-based artist Elkyn progresses with yet another endearingly expressive single, Something.
Elkyn - Something
Known for weaving poignant themes and relatability into his lyrics, Something sees Donnelley’s ability to project his music straight into your chest alive and robust as ever. With each release it seems that the northern singer-songwriter offers more and more of himself to his fanbase, addressing personal and complexed challenges he has experienced throughout his life. “'Something' is about not feeling anything”, he explains, “It’s about all the things I tried in a pretty desperate attempt to just feel something, but ultimately finding myself stuck in the same self-destructive cycle”.
Recorded at Nave studio with producer Mark Gustafson, Something sees Elkyn reaching what feels like an awaited destination, as if his previous releases were building up to exactly this. The arrangement is a lot fuller than the prior work we’ve heard from Elkyn, advancing from the Beech EP’s ambient acoustic folk to a full guitar band set up. What feels so intimately special about it is that the sound is still completely, and uniquely, Elkyn. The use of synths have grown from ambient soundscapes to active forefront melodies, the notoriously picked acoustic guitar is now cushioned by a full rhythm section and the vocals perform with a newfound form of confidence whilst still delivering the same delicate harmonies as before.
The ghostly thing about Elkyn’s work is the emotive power it holds that I simply cannot describe. The way in which the music and vocals actively project their own individual sentiment is undeniably beautiful, if not a little creepy. As I have written before, the world of Elkyn is always a pleasure to delve into, which is especially true regarding Something. Arriving at Something, we see the roots of Elkyn’s sound well and truly bloom.