Ian Janco - Rapture EP
By Thomas Bridger
Hailing from rural Idaho, the US singer-songwriter Ian Janco has harnessed the turmoil from his recent personal experiences into Rapture, a six-track indie-folk EP, to be released on 8th June.
Ian Janco - Rapture. Photo credit: Natalie Michelle
The minute-long intro entitled Birdsong perfectly sets the scene for the story Janco wishes to tell. The ambient wind and birdsong are a good exposition of this, as well as the layered glassy chords and dainty piano cues, all held up by the chugging of the low string chords. Towards the end of the intro, the harmonic texture slides into dissonance and chromaticism, perhaps signifying the delve into Janco’s troubles.
The first song, Something New, explores the artist’s retrospective thoughts post-breakup, with the ‘something new’ being the thing that his significant other desired, but Janco could not deliver. Besides the lyrics, this track is held together by its easy-listening chord progression from the guitar. It is supplemented by rich block-chords from the strings, and counter melodies from the piano. In the chorus, the ‘oohs’, in unison with strings, play one of those melodies that you’re almost sure you’ve heard before. It gives the whole track one of those familiar, folky vibes that make this kind of music so great. This whole track feels pretty nostalgic; perhaps because it’s the sort of music I listened to growing up, but I’d wager anyone else would agree. It has a calming nature which, even if a little on the commercial side, makes it one of my favourite tracks from this EP.
Pictured: Ian Janco. Photo credit: Natalie Michelle
Rapture is the final and title song of this EP. The recurring theme is established by the guitar at the very start, which is later joined by piano in reprisals of this, including at the very end. The great thing about this motif is that it is never used as a riff, or even as the chorus, but just its own embellishment which crops in and out every now and then, a tastefully done yet integral piece of the music. This track is deliberately very reminiscent of the intro; the ethereal textures, ornamental lines from the piano and even the birdsong. Adding tonnes of reverb to the percussion was also a nice touch. In fact, this track is produced in such a way that it gives the song what I like to call a “super-polyphonic” texture, where elements of the production mix in with the already thickly scored track to give it that extra three-or-so layers of intricacy.
Overall, Rapture is a well written, well performed, and well-produced EP, channeling a painful, yet melancholy insight into the artist’s mind. With an air of folky nostalgia about it, the familiarity of pop-like chord progressions makes it a superb easy listen, whilst also giving a thought-provoking comprehension of how a person’s pain can become art.