East of Eli – Nothing Ordinary EP
Review by Jenn Stookey
There is a tricky bridge that one must cross when going from acting to music. Some fall off but others make it to the other side. For Nathan West, best know for “Jan Jan the cheerleading man” in 2000’s cult classic Bring It On, I don’t believe the trip across the bridge was necessarily effortless. But he is here with his new project East of Eli and debut EP, Nothing Ordinary, and it sounds great.
“Nothing Ordinary,” the title and opening track of the EP, is what originally caught my attention. It’s upbeat but not overbearing. The instrumentals on the track are what make it so special. It begins with an acoustic guitar picking a simple melody that carries through the entirety of the song. The percussion provides an interesting layer of rhythm that makes the song memorable. Then a calming electric guitar solo breaks out in the middle. You would have never guessed anything like it because of the acoustic nature of the song, but it’s not overbearing and surprisingly fits perfectly.
The track on the album that needs the most help in my opinion is “Riptide.” It begins with the line “What’s the point of life if everyone dies.” The song continues to say how people never learn to fly and “we’re caught by the riptide.” It might be my personal opinion but songs with the mixture of morbid lyrics and a slow accompaniment aren’t my cup of tea.
The final track “Start Again” finishes off the EP delicately. A song about coming to an end, not wanting to live without someone, but having to start again is a feeling most humans experience at least once in their life. But as the song says, it is important to pick you up and start again. I feel that this was the perfect track to follow “Riptide” because it gets the listener out of the unsure mood they just experienced and are told that change is all right. The bridge of the song is completely reminiscent of the bridge in Coldplay’s “Fix You.” A build up of guitars and percussion takes the listener on a ride to the top, which is beautiful.
Each song has its own simplicity and serenity about it. This was Nathan West’s first trial of an EP and it wasn’t bad. There is much work to be done with EP’s and albums to come, but I’m excited to see how he grows from his first attribution to the music scene.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended Tracks: “Nothing Ordinary” and “Start Again”
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