On their Oct. 30 release, 2 Women, Amiture Music pairs nuanced personal anecdotes with rock subgenre-blurring experimentation.
This five-track EP is the New York-based band’s second, evolving from vocalist and guitarist Jack Whitescarver’s solo project, Amiture.
The grunge-forward tracks each explore a set of connected opposing concepts; the press release for 2 Women notes listeners can expect to encounter “themes of isolation and attachment, the complexities of intimacy and relationships, the tension between movement and stasis, and the relationship between interiority and the outer world.”
The opening track, “My Loose Thread,” introduces the band as a group of seasoned contributors with distinct styles building a strong, unified musical presence.
Drummer Justin Fossell and multi-instrumentalist Allie Wrubel support tight, explosive musical lines through cowbell-like clomps and frantic drum rhythms.
Whitescarver’s vocals, whether sharply pitch-modulated in the bridge or cracking from isolation-motivated distress, carry immense power, but not enough to hold their own.
Aside from thematic interpretation-supporting phrases, waves of distorted percussion and strong leading guitar lines leave most of Whitescarver’s parts inaudible and dampened.
On “Window,” the rhythmic intricacy persists, complementing reserved guitar riffs and Beirne Shafer’s solid bass-heavy foundation. Looped multi-line sections and rhythmic switches create intrigue, but loud, hollow percussion thumps soften their impact.
The song’s punchiest lines, like “someday I wake up and look at the stain, best you remember that everything’s pain,” come through more clearly on this song, but most of Whitescarver’s lyricism gets swallowed by the mix once again.
“Idela (feat. Eliana Glass)” faces a similar muddiness; however, glitchy effects, alternating voices, and haunting overlays make the vocals act more like additional instrumental layers.
Glass’ slowly unveiled vocals lift bold lyrical declarations, like “I know everyone wants to kill me.” Her harmonies slightly combat the smothering nature of this track’s simple drum rhythms and chilled guitar strums.
“Bad Call Autofile” is an EP standout, boasting the most unity and polish yet.
It’s a showy, genre-bending track full of well-executed key changes and grimy, slow-building strums. Major-key indie sweetness and an extra layer of vibrant guitar merge well with gloomy, minor-key vocals, resulting in a ‘90s alternative rock-inspired final product.
Lyrics like “she’s a castrater, why did you let her? Barely a stranger” and “I hate you, I hate you, I love you, I love you” richly convey a deep state of inner emotional conflict, making this track one of the EP’s most expressive and self-aware.
The EP ends with “Albertine,” a grief-tinged release of overwhelming, conflicting thoughts after a sudden heartbreak.
The song’s cymbal-driven, lengthy intro gives way to a strikingly complex amalgamation of simple components.
The lyrics serve as vivid snapshots of a devastating moment and brim with scattered memories.
Forlorn vocal lines depict coastal drives and acknowledge Albertine’s beauty-centred significance, yet accuse her of lying about a hotel stay and wail out of desperate anguish.
This track’s narrative stirs up mixed feelings; it feels disjointed and under-detailed while also suitably conveying a niche emotional context.
The outro’s heavy sonic pivot further obscures the narrative. Its jumbled lyricism, abrupt loops, and clunky instrumental phrases merge and clash, resulting in a sound that resembles a skipping CD.
2 Women wholeheartedly showcases each member of Amiture Music’s aptitude, but their pursuit of perfectly balanced, mutual arrangements leaves their frontman and lyricism fighting for visibility.
Without clarity, each track’s connection to its intended theme feels like a disorienting stretch.
Despite these hindrances, the skillful EP hints at the possibility of Amiture Music achieving near-immaculate compositional unity.
Ultimately, this EP offers elements to love and look forward to as the four-part ensemble’s projects progress.
