An honest, wholesome and authentic EP, ‘Groundless Heart Demos’ is Ollie Lou Smith’s answer to the timeless question “is it worth re-recording the songs properly?”. Sometimes it might be. More often than not, it’s hard to capture the same vibe, especially if the original recording has a truly impromptu and casual flair. Hence why Smith chose to release his demos, sharing them with the wider world, hoping to find a suitable listenership for the project.
We are sure he found it. ‘Groundless Heart Demos’ is not a conventional effort. Packed with grainy, lo-fi material, the EP delivers a stream of evocative songs carried by Ollie’s acoustic guitar and minimalistic arrangements. Navigating folk and Americana territories, the Berlin-based creative uncovers a lyrical wealth that’s personal and introspective, yet not carrying any specific thematic drive. Smith leaves it up to the listener, and on this occasion, we’d say that ‘Groundless Heart Demos’ is more of a cathartic endeavour, a slice of escapism that allows us to abstract and escape our gloomy reality.
Tender, yet urgent. Ethereal, yet grounded. There are all sorts of ambivalences in the record, a feature that greatly enhances the listening experience. Delving deeper into the EP, Smith explains: “I liked the rawness of the originals, and it is next to impossible to reproduce and recapture the essence of a performance, so I decided to leave them as they are. If you can spare 15 minutes of your time, sit down and put on some headphones.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Groundless Heart Demos’ on Bandcamp:
