Echoreview: Grey Milk's Nocturnal EP

Currently based out of Athens, GA, Grey Milk is a wonderfully unique music project with an ever-varying lineup of members headed by Jesse Houle. In its several years of existence, the band has released multiple records, and its soft indie folk style, acoustic sound, and raw vocals pervade each one of these albums including their brand new EP Nocturnal. This latest release in particular seems to hearken to a time spent outdoors in the peaceful countryside.

The EP begins with the darkly-titled Gathering Your Bones, a very indie melody with a bit of a southern feel that blends with soft vocals reminiscent of hooting owls. Fittingly, this tune ends with the sounds of the night that melt into So Long, the first of the upbeat offerings on this album. Listening to this track, I felt like I was a guest at a country gathering as dusk settles in and the glow of the campfire dances playfully across everyone's faces.

Next, Glow washes in, a soft and sweet, very unique song strengthened by a hint of bass. With snaps as percussion in the background, this quickly became my one of my favorites on the album. Then the Answer, another quirky upbeat tune, bounces onto the record. Sung as a sort of round and finishing with a purely a capella ending, I was blown away by the creativity in this track.

The final piece of music on the album is Satellites and Sanitariums. This guitar-filled stroll, if a bit cheesy with its naming of various cities around the United States, builds to quite a strong climax before fading into one of my favorite lyrics, 'Living the way we do doesn't make sense to most people... but it doesn't have to." These words lead perfectly into Spring Nocturne, a track of night sounds that fill the air as the animals that thrive in darkness come out to play. Voices and footsteps along with the distant whistle of a train tenderly carry the listener back into civilization as the album ends.

Truly, this is the perfect CD to listen to as you relax outdoors on a comfortable night. Want to check out this EP for yourself? You can listen to, download, and buy Nocturnal right here!