Aquilo’s “Human” EP review

by Eric Evans

Mellow gets a bad rap. Historically, outside of R&B and adult contemporary markets, it’s been difficult to create excitement over music which is, for lack of a better term, mellow. Ridiculous, given the number of absolutely vital albums that are categorically calm. Has anyone ever expressed discontent with Roxy Music’s seminal Avalon, The Blue Nile’s 1989 gem Hats, or Tangerine Dream’s Krautrock classic Zeit? Of course not.

The distaste for mellow changed over the last few years with the advent of hipsters and artists such as The Weeknd, Still Corners, Rhye, London Grammar, and I Break Horses. The best record of 2014 might be The Acid’s Liminal, and the BPMs on that album don’t exceed 2 digits. Downtempo, particularly in the electronic genre and double particularly when accompanied by a soulful vocal, is hot. Enter Aquilo with Human, a four-track EP that sounds as polished and assured as any of the artists listed above.

The mournful pulse of the first track, “Human”, serves as a gentle introduction to the band’s sound; warm vocals and thoughtful instrumentation, both analog and digital. And the lyrics! The Peter Gabriel of “Solsbury Hill” and “I Grieve” – you know, the good Peter Gabriel unconcerned with bombast and MTV – could have written the prose poetry of “I Gave It All”. It’s the EP’s second and maybe best track, starting with voice and piano and gently adding percussion and washes of synth voice with the falsetto chorus. It’s just gorgeous. The mid-tempo looped vocal samples and keyboards of “Best of Us” are the closest Aquilo gets to the dance floor, and even here the beat is suspended for vocal interludes better suited to the dark booth in the corner of the club. Closing the set is “Losing You”, which features the most soulful vocal of the set and seems the most likely to catch on radio. A paean to that feeling of romance slipping away, it’s got near-universally relatable lyrics without pandering to Valentine’s Day card clichés. That’s harder to do than you’d think.

This EP announces Aquilo as a distinct talent. If you’re into Rhye or London Grammar this should be an automatic purchase; you’ll have it on repeat for a solid week without tiring of it’s gentle charms. There is, after all, a world of difference between mellow and boring. Aquilo’s lush brand of mellow will reward you.

Release date: December 8, 2014