re6ce Crafts an Ephemeral Moment of Bittersweet Euphoria in 'grey europe'
re6ce, hailing from Liverpool, is a beacon of the new generation's DIY-centric internet musicians. Their latest EP, grey europe, co-produced by aldn and Gabe Greenland, is a testament to their self-taught and savvy musical style. At just 18, they impress with a versatile seven-track body of work that balances classic re6ce sonic touchstones and daring experimentation, a sign of his promising career.
The EP opens with the moody "is suicide too much?" Warm, summery guitar strums set the scene before layers of fuzzed vocals and poppy percussion patterns enter the mix. In the first verse, they open up that they spend their days drinking the day away while their love is off somewhere far away. They narrate, "But it all goes downhill from here / I got a pill in my pocket, watch it disappear / I got too much on my mind." As the chorus kicks in, they admit to his partner, "I tell you I'm fine, but I'm lying / I'll be outside, up on a ledge, know I'm dying / On the inside I'll be fine, is suicide too much?"
"i don't even own prada shoes lol" opens with pulsing synths and thumping percussion patterns, cueing in the singer's airy, enigmatic vocals. They croon over the track, "You wanna try? / And out of anybody, you met me inside, alright / You wanna die? / Smoking outside with a girl who I don't know at all." These lyrics invite us into their world, revealing their dwindling state of mind and patience. They reassure themselves, "It's fine," as they grapple with the attention before launching into the track's explosive chorus. The dance-inducing hook ups the ante with high-octane beats, synths, crashing high hats, and edgy guitar riffs swirling together to create an all-consuming sonic experience.
Fan favorite "brown eyes*," their biggest debut with over 11K pre-saves and Instagram reels totaling 5M+ views, juxtaposes charming, mellow instrumentals with existential lyrics that mull over themes of the passage of time and emotional honesty. Starting the song with the chorus, the artist croons, "I told her time floats by in the blink of an eye / You take one step back and there goes five." re6ce looks for some semblance of stability and safety in their partner but finds themselves unable to do so since they're unsure if they "believe what you say when you say that you care?" The tumultuous and toxic nature of their relationship comes to light throughout the verses as the pair struggle with drug use, dishonesty, and carrying the weight of each other's burdens.
The EP's closer "skin&bone" is a moving finale that wraps up the EP on a beautiful yet melancholic note. After the delightful highs and mental breakdown-esque lows of the record, re6ce almost takes on a numb acceptance of the condition of his turbulent mental and emotional state. In the track's only verse, they sing to the ether, "And you can skin me to the bone / Hang me out across the line / And when you're sitting on the moon / I'll be waiting there to try," as deep, looming percussion, warped vocals, and steady guitar strums fill the air. A flurry of retro-inspired synths and vocal samples join the intensifying, psychedelic production before launching into the cathartic, goose-bump-inducing chorus. re6ce, backed by layers of shouting harmonies, sings to the void, "So hang me out to dry/ You know tonight's the night/ Stars never seemed so bright/ That's why you're out on a line / So hang me out to dry," finishing the song, and the record, with a textural sound collage that enfolds the listener and leaves them wishing they too could keep hanging out to dry with the artist in that ephemeral moment of bittersweet euphoria.
Listen to grey europe below:
