EP4

Red Trees - Chris Beckett and Lou Richards - are a Sheffield-based duo who have been making music together for the best part of a decade. Over the last year, they have produced a new EP every three months, each representing a season. EP4 completes this cycle. Despite being comprised of songs written in spring this year, they have stated that the songs in this final collection belong to every season. It’s been a fascinating project. I first heard of it as EP3was being released, and I’ve really enjoyed going back to discover the earlier releases.

The music is sparse and simple - just two delicately picked electric guitars and two gentle yet sonorous voices - yet despite this the scope of the songwriting and arrangements is impressive. The music really does seem to change temperature, at times as cold and empty as an arctic winter, but growing in warmth and richness as the record progresses. Within hypnotic lines and repeated phrases, an ethereal beauty emerges. Penultimate track ‘Doves’, with its added piano and spoken word section, forms the emotional core of the record and musically is the highlight, but each track offers both passion and poignancy.

The tracks have been recorded in a home studio with a basic setup. The lack of production is a key strength, leaving the EP feeling intimate and cozy, with the immediacy of a live performance. It’s a minimalist gem, with songs that at first seeming gentle and unassuming, but quickly reveal an enduring emotional depth.