Rating: NNNN
If you’ve ever ruined a city for someone, or had one ruined for you, the title track on Moonface’s latest EP hits home. But the artist (real name Spencer Krug) doesn’t need to bank on shared experience, so pretty are the piano chords anchoring the tune and so astute the naked prose he turns into poetry.
Krug’s last LP, Julia With Blue Jeans On, was strictly him and the ivories. This five-song EP continues in that vein, though The Fog adds synths to the mix without spoiling the record’s overall stark, wintry effect. (It was made in Helsinki, which also provides much of the setting.) City Wrecker isn’t the same thrilling emotional rollercoaster Julia is, though that’s not his fault: Krug recently moved from Finland to Vancouver Island (presumably post-breakup). Overall, it could use more joyous highs to balance out the lows. But still, his classical piano chops mean there’s never a dull moment – even with eight- and 10-minute tracks.
Top track: City Wrecker
