The songs found on Spectrum may come from a very straightforward place, built from an engaging voice floating over either simple guitar lines or occasionally more intricate electronica, but there is a lot to be said for simplicity. Simplicity is not in any way subordinate to complexity, in fact, it is often a more accomplished skill, the brevity of being able say what you have to with minimal strokes of the musical pen, is a skill more artists should learn.
The two openers, the title track and Amazing prove this point elegantly. Minimal guitar rhythms provide the backdrop allowing Megan’s cool and cascading vocals to really grab the listeners attention.
Nothing’s What It Seems sees her embrace a modern skittering-beat driven, slow dance meets R&B sound allowing her to show a wider range of song-crafting skills and Angelic Keyboard Melody is just that, a Vangelisian instrumental soundscape which in many ways is the most intriguing track to be found here…it is if like me you are a massive fan of Vangelis anyway.
A nice sonic scatter gun of sounds and ideas and if the EP might benefit from slightly better production, but then what grassroots release is that not true of, imagine what Megan L. Divine will be creating a few years down the line with a bit more experience and a slightly bigger budget. I for one can’t wait to hear it.
