Grey Gordon

Still At Home Here [EP] (2013)

RENALDO69

A five-track emo-acoustic EP could be a tad difficult to stomach, but given the right storytelling and musical variation, it can work. Grey Gordon sets out on a voyage, just under 15 minutes, to achieve this, and he shows why his 'self-initiated failures', as he calls them, makes for a good listen. If you're a fan of Koji, Into It. Over It. and more so, Elliot Smith, Stil At Home Here may well be your cup of tea.

"Broken Vows" proves an extension of the melancholy in which Gordon seems steeped. The depressive state of his lyrics and somber delivery touch on many points: dwelling on heartache, lost hope and most importantly, past mistakes. Still At Home Here is bent on showing human growth, development and maturity, all of which spreads over his guitar work and lyrics. "500 Miles" echoes this, and you soon realize the mostly dark theme of the record, as Gordon drowns you with retrospection and cynicism.

'We met at a house neither of us talk about anymore / You walked me to the door / Kissed me goodnight / You opened your eyes / You didn't look frightened as much as surprised / It got stuck in your mouth and you couldn't let your love out' proves there's a classy solo act tugging at your heartstrings on "Old Houses." He constantly hints at misdemeanors and dull failures. It's a positive that he streamlined it into just five tracks to avoid monotony, and this will surpass any expectations that you'll have if you were anticipating something lackluster and not too broad.

The title-track and closer, "Recovery," proves that there's a divisiveness engrained in Gordon. He's an old soul fighting with young mistakes. The contrast, internal strife and struggles in life are brought out poetically and sincerely. Nothing's gratuitous about Stil At Home Here and there's more than enough heart and soul to win you over.