My Beautiful Kind by Esore Alle - 14/06/2024

My Beautiful Kind is a 5-track EP by Esore Alle, which features a variety of talented artists and, as their debut EP, is their chance to demonstrate their skill and identity to their audience. I believe they achieved this without fault. 

My Beautiful Kind 

My Beautiful Kind fades in with EQ and volume automation, instead of just volume automation, as the listener hears drums, guitar and an FM-style, bell-like chimes. The intro also features a ‘radio voice’ before a rhythmic lead vocal takes over. The combination of the bell chimes, ‘radio voice’ and the style/tone of the backing vocal contributes to the space theme demonstrated on the cover art. This is a fantastic way to open the EP.  

I believe the lead vocals could use some more vocal processing, commonly used to correct minor deviations in pitch, however the vocals as they are are natural and create a sense of authenticity and are generally strong and powerful. The vocal melody is catchy and will encourage audiences to sing along as they get to know the song better and listen to it more and more.  

At the 1:16 mark, a breakdown is introduced with a fast-paced vocal melody and hugely reduced instrumental layers, which creates a sense of tension. As the instrumentation regains its layers, it doesn’t ‘drop’ in the traditional sense, but instead takes the track to an instrumental interlude that then ‘drops’ into the chorus. While this build in tension is effective and powerful, the drop isn’t as satisfying as it would be if the chorus came in immediately after the breakdown, in the place of the interlude, to flow better. 

Overall, this track sets a good atmosphere for the whole EP and demonstrates the band’s vast skillset.  

Ninny’s Song (Sunshine and Rainbows) 

Ninny’s Song is quite short at just 1:22, but definitely leaves the audience wanting more! It features a flowing feel-good atmosphere with a simple choice of instruments, so as to not draw attention from the vocals, singing to ‘Ninny’.  

The chorus is extremely catchy and energetic and, like My Beautiful Kind (you’ll see a recurring theme here), will definitely encourage audiences to sing along when performed live. The panned vocals jump around to creatively give the production the same energy the arrangement and songwriting has. 

 The clapping is a good choice of percussion used to add feel-good energy and encourage audience participation in live settings. The use of toms to support the driving kick and snare, in my opinion, creates a softer and more gentle ‘flow’ to the drums to suit the nature of the song better than the hi-hats would for the majority of the drum part (when the cymbals and hi-hats are used, it is typically in breaks, etc). 

Overall, this track is a very upbeat and positive ode to Ninny, which, although is not very long, contains a lot of positive and heart-warming sentiment in a beautiful gesture. 

MBK Interlude (ft. Leah Wilcox, PHE, Lauren Bolton & Kita) 

MBK Interlude is, as the name implies, a short interlude in the centre of the EP (at less than 30 seconds long) to separate it into 2 haves. Esore Alle are known for their (sometimes) theatrical theme, and an interlude is a great way to contribute to this, as their equivalent to an interval in a play, for example. 

The interlude has 4 talented feature artists, who work together to create a beautiful slow alternative version of My Beautiful Kind’s chorus, which is rich in harmony and tone.  

This track is an example of how Esore Alle like to break away from traditional practises and create something different. It also shows how the band thought outside the box about the album as a whole, instead of just the individual songs on it. 

Two Bottoms Don’t Make A Top 

This track is a ballad, which is introduced with piano, bass and powerful lead vocals, before an immaculate lead guitar line is introduced, that is shortly followed by a kick which builds tension and increases in layers of instruments to a passionate chorus.  

This dramatic chorus is yet another example of when Esore Alle’s music would be fantastic to sing along to (told you you’d see a recurring theme). It becomes more like a theatrical rock song, which will suit live environments very well. 

The occasional vocal accidentals are smooth and fit the song well. They create a discordant sense of unease, before swiftly resolving, which is very musically satisfying.  

Overall, this track has a well-balanced blend of ballad and rock, which are separated into different sections, but also have a sensible amount of crossover to blend together when needed. 

My Beautiful Kind Part 2 

My Beautiful Kind Part 2 opens with a quiet and peaceful piano, before introducing a thumping kick drum to drive it, followed by the riff from part 1, and more parts of the drum kit to create the heavier rock style. 

The lead vocals in the verse don’t match the vocal melody in part 1, but this works well to make it its own song, and not just an extension of part 1, justifying their separation into 2 parts.  

The pre-chorus includes an emotional falsetto to build up to the chorus, before a drum fill leads into the chorus, which features the same lyrics to a different melody to differentiate between the chorus and pre-chorus. 

The song exits with a vocally dramatic and long version of the lyrics from My Beautiful Kind Part 1 and the MBK Interlude, which concludes the EP well, by utilising a lyric that runs throughout the EP, giving a sense of ‘journey’. The track fades out with the sound of the band laughing, adding that final personal touch. 

Overall, Esore Alle have cleverly written the second part to the opening song, to close (like the ‘bread’ of the EP ‘sandwich’, if you like). This part is much heavier rock, with the same riff as the first part to show that similarity. This makes the song a strong, memorable, energetic finale to the EP.  

This EP demonstrates consideration for how an album can take a listener on a ‘journey’, even in just a short 10 minutes. There are personal touches throughout that create a strong sense of authenticity, which will help them engage a loyal fanbase. Elements of this release make the songs excellent to perform in a live setting and will engage a loyal audience, further. Esore Alle have put a lot of thought into this EP and have made a fantastic debut, including their cover art which cleverly contains 8-bit characters of each band member, as well as planets that have colours that match LGBT flags, one of Esore Alle’s themes. I look forward to seeing their future releases!