‘Wide Eyed Elk Ensemble’ Fences album review
Fences, AKA Christopher Mansfield, is one of those people who looks a little bit scary but, as that age-old adage goes, never judge a book by its cover. You see, look past all the face tattoos, and you’ll find this is a man whose music is so gentle on the ear and so calming that you’ll feel more than a little bit guilty for judging the Seattle-native in the first place.
Having worked with the likes of Tegan and Sara and Mackelmore, this new five-track EP is the follow-up to his 2019 album “Failure Sculptures”, which dropped in 2019 and was his first new music in five years. Consisting of five tracks, “Wide Eyed Elk Ensemble” is a joyful trip through Mansfield’s indie-folk wonderland. Heartfelt from the off, each of the five tracks is a soothing, genuine listen written, in Mansfield’s own words, “with no intention other than to fill the room with something beautiful.” Words as honest and meaningful as his music, it’s impossible not to get lost in the gentle, soothing sounds of songs like recent singles “Boot Height” and “Fake Snow”.
With a number of the tracks already working their way out into the public, reading Mansfield talk about the inspiration behind his music, while he may have just pulled this EP together quickly, a lot of thought and delving into his past has clearly gone into these songs. On the downside, “Wide Eyed Elk Ensemble” is brief and over before you’ve even had a chance to really dig into the inspiration behind these beautifully crafted, heartfelt songs. However, during those five delightful songs, it isn’t impossible to see that there is more heart, passion and honesty than some musicians capture in an entire career. So, look past the scary exterior because, inside, you’ll find one of the warmest, most genuine collection of songs you’ll have the pleasure to enjoy all year.
STREAM “WIDE EYED ELK ENSEMBLE” HERE
