Elijah Hanson, the Orange County, CA guy behind Dearie, displays some amazing range on the self-titled EP, out now on Spotify. It’s a range of styles, emotions and soundscapes from the fuzz guitar opening moments of “Deflection” through to the acoustic strums and vocal echoes of the 8-minute closer “Ivory Tower.”
Feedback on the Dearie YouTube channel has been positive. “Yugoslavia,” released August 7, has 80 comments and nearly 3,000 views. The video of the song posted in the band’s Topic page is approaching 5,000 listens.
Hanson (now 24) wrote the song a few years ago. It took a while to record and finish. Eventually it was completed in Tennessee.
“Yugoslavia” strikes a chord. The piano haunts and Hanson’s vocals are emotive and nostalgic. There’s a full rush of sights, humor and feelings in the video.
Recorded on an old spinet piano purchased on craigslist, Elijah wrote Yugoslavia in a lockout studio off Euclid St. The cacophony of surrounding sounds were later added by producer Johnny Hanson, who meticulously fine tuned each additional instrument in the song to the old piano, which had a unique sound due to its detuned keys.
Dearie Spotify Page
Before “Yugoslavia,” which is the 4th of 5 tracks, we hear “Deflection,” “In A Rut” and the 1:25 long instrumental “Bathtub.”
“Deflection” kicks off the EP with an intimate introduction to Hanson’s voice. There’s a hopscotch, stop/start vibe that gives off a feeling that these are moments of retrospection. It comes at you through haze and reverb.
“In A Rut” had its video debut on October 17. It views the search for love through the lens of humor.
“Ivory Tower” closes the EP. Things slow down, and we are here for it because Hanson continues to emote. The arrangement wafts in and out with background vocals and sonic explorations, adding drama. The song goes exactly as long as it needs to. Story told. Emotions fully rendered.
Praise coming from as far away as Portugal is proof that Dearie is already reaching into the hearts of listeners.
LINK: https://linktr.ee/jahlijahman
“Elijah Hanson was born and raised in Orange County California. From the young age of fourteen, he began writing and recording his own original music. One of his biggest influences was his father Joshua Hanson who has been creating indie/folk music for over a decade under the name Yellow Red Sparks. Elijah also takes inspiration from the likes of Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Walker Reinhardt, Richard Swift, and Daniel Rossen. There is a distinctive lyrical motif throughout his body of work that suggests themes of grief, love, and existentialism, which coupled with his unique instrumentals creates a moody yet powerful and optimistic ambiance that will leave listeners revisiting his work and applying their own personal meanings to the music.”
Press Kit.
UNCLE EARS is a music blog written by David Falk. davidrfalk@gmail.com David was born in 1962 and gravitates towards melodies, adventure, unsigned artists, fresh discoveries. He trusts his ear to know what it likes and loves sharing what he finds. He lives near Seattle, WA, USA.
Uncle Ears 
Leave a comment