Dundee duo, Edenbank recently released their 4-track ep Where the waves meet the land. It is essentially a singer-songwriter ep with acoustic guitar and vocals being the focal features.
It is immersed in imagery and a prominent recurring theme is that of water. Not the bitterly cold water from other Scottish folklore that evokes discomfort and harsh pessimism but a gentle still water glimmering with warmth that you may choose to bath in. Its nourishing and cleansing, and there is a sense of safety and security like that a mother might provide. Calm and unexpectant, gentle security.
The rich sound of mandolin, piano and acoustic guitar is sprinkled over the ep reflective of the light ricocheting from the ripples while the subtle deep bass is not only symbolic of a mass of water but the acutely retrospective lyrics. All the while, soaring synthesisers create a wide panoramic space, an opening in the thick wooded forest where a contemplative woman walks along the embankment of a vast and beautiful loch. These parallels and contrasts continue throughout the ep to bring 4 individual tracks together as one rounded 18ish minute long piece.
Found opens with atmospheric synths before a doubled up acoustic guitar comes in bringing an urgency to the song followed by Ashley’s soft, clean vocal which sets the scene for the ep in the first verse. There is tension from the offset which flows throughout, a “push and pull”. Simultaneously sorrowful but safe. There is something beautifully vulnerable about how she speaks of being on the edge but feeling found by recipient of the song and understanding the duality of their reciprocal longing for each other. It resolves into a euphoric celebration of love and intimacy, gently fading into the quiet.
I didn’t know follows and is accepting of the reality that we are not infallible characters like those in the movies. However, while we are likely to experience adversity, there is a beauty in having come through something and what we may find when we get there.
We move on to Lifeboat which again carries tension and melancholy but now with a microscopic lens that bringing the intimacy of Where the waves meet the land closer still. To notice freckles and eye colour is as close as we may get to a person, and this is reflected in the closeness of the lead vocal and the gentle male backing vocal. Lifeboat evokes memories of grief and loss, perhaps the closest we can get to a person is to hold them deep in our hearts after they are gone.
The final song Landmines continues the cinematic feel to the ep with a nostalgic vibe that wouldn’t be out of place on Grey’s Anatomy as with any song from this project. It is a triumphant release to conclude the ep with an uplifting feeling of hope.
Overall, Where the waves meet the land is comforting, cathartic, and expressive. It seems to say that deep sadness can exist in tandem with safety and warmth. Vulnerability is presented here in a believable, honest way and yet it is mature, grounded and self-aware. The ep looks carefully at the smallest details uses these close observations to zoom out and find meaning in the bigger picture. Where the waves meet the land ends unresolved with the suggestion that Edenbank have not yet finished and that there is something special and important still to say…
