Music producer Jack Leech, known to the music world as Nurko, drops the bass…in the form a five track EP Album named “Discovery”. Featuring a handful of vocalists, and heavy music effects, this electronica presentation is sure to delight fans of the genre. The language of the lyrics is simple, catchy, and accessible to Millennial and Generation Z audiences, with the sound having some appeal to the Generation Alphas. There is plenty of layering, breakdowns, use of compression, auto tune, and no small amount of reverb. Each track features a different vocalist or vocalists, over fairly standard track formula used for this genre – calm intros that build through the song until an avalanche of sound crashes on the listener, an energy wave sweeping to the end.
The album opens with “Eternity” featuring Dayce Williams, and has a sound and style similar to several dance pop tracks from the mid 2000s’ to mid 2010s’ era in feel. It somewhat becomes hypnotic, which is definitely up to the listener how that is perceived, as the vocals are almost drowned in the sound, occasionally breaking the surface more audibly. Like a few of the other tracks, it has a little bit of guitar sprinkled at the beginning which is later melted in the synth sounds. “Save Me (From Myself)” featuring Kyle Hume is also in this style, reminiscent of artists like Usher, with the beginning sounding somewhat like a beating heart.
The EP also has the song “Love is a Highway” featuring Neriah, who’s vocals are more pronounced and audible, and has the same sprinkling of guitar sound and an unmissable breakdown in the middle. “Too Long” featuring Cruel Youth uses the addition of keys in place of guitar in the intro and throughout, and the vocals sound not dissimilar to Miley Cyrus, or Pink’s “What About Us”.
The album wraps up with the “Art of Letting Go” featuring James Gillespie and is it probably the tune that really displays Nurko’s style best. The lyrics are well crafted and flow together nicely, and the track is easily singable as well as perfect for a club or rave environment. This track like “Too Long” also relies on use of the keys, which helps keep the tracks from having too much sameness, while still sounding like they are parts making a up a whole unit.
Electronica, electro-pop, however you define the genre, this album hits all the main target points of being a solid offering. Good beats, well done synth, most of the FX are not too overwhelming, although they do overpower the vocals, however this may be an artistic choice and it not outside the realm of what is normal for this style of music. It does create a dream-like feeling of audio hypnosis, making it a perfect choice for a dance club or electronic music festival environment. This is an album best played over a large sound system in a big area. If you are a fan of artists such as One Republic, Aviici, Swedish House Mafia, etc, this would be a great choice for your collection.
FINAL GRADE: B
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