E.B. The Younger – To Each His Own – Album Review by Killian Laher

With Midlake seemingly on indefinite hiatus, following bass player Paul Alexander’s excellent Two Medicine album, singer Eric Pulido releases a solo album, as E.B. The Younger.  From catchy opening track Used To Be onwards, the album has a bright poppy sound.  Despite the presence of most of the band here, this album is a lot more straightforward and accessible than anything heard previously from the Midlake stable.

When The Time Comes has a shiny, major key melody with a touch of pedal steel to ground it in the Midlake DNA.  Some tracks such as the relentlessly chirpy CLP are a little too disposable.  That’s not to say it’s not pretty, the picked acoustic guitars and descending melody of Down and Out have an obvious appeal.  Out of the Woods channels the Beatles’ Dear Prudence without overtly copying it.  But it’s just all a bit… instant, the discerning listener will discover everything they need to know on the first listen.

Later, On An Island has a swing and gentle swagger absent on the rest of the album, spoiled by an obvious lyric “if it’s wrong I don’t want to be right”.  A Matter of Time would work as the ‘soft track’ on a more rocking album, whereas here it just blends into the whole.

Plenty of upbeat, poppy moments here then.  But anyone looking for anything more challenging will need to look elsewhere.

Track List –

1. Used To Be
2. When The Time Comes
3. CLP
4. Down And Out
5. Don’t Forget Me
6. Out of the Woods
7. Monterey
8. Hope Arrives
9. On An Island
10. A Matter of Time
11. To Each His Own

Used To Be