Review Summary: A fantastic fusion of electronic music and post rock that is consistent with its uplifting vibe and variety.
Within the many realms of subgenres and genre fusions, Sean Martin aspires to combine post rock and electronic music and he accomplishes this to great effect. His short debut EP certainly doesn't deliver anything ground breaking by any means, but the listener can’t help the feeling of constant enjoyment over the course of
An Open Canvas. The moods that this beautiful one man project conveys are nothing short of uplifting, pleasant and euphoric with it providing an expertly polished and complete listen. Over the course of this listen, the bands that without a doubt come to mind will include Tycho, Hammock and at times even Sigur Ros with its sometimes ethereal soundscapes. Cathartic in nature and satisfying until the very end,
An Open Canvas will surely brighten up anyone’s mood who has had a bad day.
“Chroma” starts us off with a couple of subtle xylophone notes, but soon builds over a short amount of time by means of a heightening piano melody and swelling ambiance. Make no mistake that Sean Martin has a way of maintaining the subtle yet powerful mood with the piano throughout the listen and the uplifting mood never stops coming. Another firm example of this would be the title track with its soaring post rock esque atmosphere, well done drumming and exemplary use of the piano providing a subtle build up filled with little nuances. In addition to these fantastic qualities, the track is brought to a satisfying close with a hidden track filled up with swelling strings. As evidenced by all of the positives mentioned here, “Chroma” and the title track without a doubt exist as the album highlights.
Meanwhile, the rest of the EP certainly never backs down either despite these two being the highlights. “Chroma” is expertly followed up by another piano driven track with more of the fantastic qualities of the former expect with drums thrown in. The track then changes it up a bit with adding synths into the mix creating a more electronically influenced vibe. “Lift the Tone” then livens the album up a little more with a faster tempo featuring excellent use of keyboards and pleasant guitar work. Even though
An Open Canvas happens to be quite short, lots of variety should be expected as evidenced here throughout the entire listen which proves to be admirable.
From the awesome, purely electronic vibe of “In Contrast” to the expertly fused tracks that includes post rock and electronic music,
An Open Canvas has something for sizable fans of both. He manages to combine both of these genres to great effect and while it’s nothing ground breaking, Martin shows considerable amounts of potential for the future. Fans of this EP will surely look forward to Sean’s debut LP because if this type of music is expanded and made more original, it could become the next big album everyone will be talking about.
