Shout Out Louds define "sunset rock" on Ease My Mind

Singers Bebban Stenborg and Adam Olenius’ voices work together effortlessly, whether in harmony (on “Porcelain”) or duet (on “Jumbo Jet”).

On the title track “Ease My Mind”, Stenborg’s whispery vocals and the echoing piano are a beautiful combination. As well as being an exploration of intense feelings in a relationship, in a wider context the song feels relevant and necessary at a time like this, where many are looking for comfort despite of everything happening around us.

The album drifts by comfortably and could benefit from a few surprises, both tonally and musically. However, there are definite standout moments, such as “Oh Oh” and the bouncy “Angel”.

With the guitar sound on “Paola” reminiscent of New Order, and the twinkly piano on much of the album (Especially “Oh Oh”) contrasting with the lyrics, Shout Out Louds expertly capture a happy-sad sort of feeling. They describe their sound as, ‘sunset rock’, which feels apt.

The slow build of the closing song “Souvenirs” perhaps captures this duality best in the line “it gets so clear in the morning”, which could be either hopeful or despairing. It’s this duality that makes the album a more interesting listen than it may first appear.