Kent quartet The Autumn Ravine have come on in leaps and bounds since the release of their debut EP ‘The Garden of England’, a little over two years ago. When you release a stunning debut, it can be daunting to follow it up with something that transcends that; however, they’ve achieved it in the form of their latest release, ‘An Intrinsic Evolution’.
The ending of ‘Cold Blooded’ swells and soars; melodic hooks and an ambient-like atmosphere create a bold and dynamic track. Single ‘Narcissus’ sweeps in with a powerful and punchy chorus, whilst frontman Damon Griffith’s efficacious vocals reach new heights. His voice is staggering – he’s an underrated vocalist within the scene, which desperately needs to change.
Damon’s vocals breathe life into the unapologetically emotional ‘Epilogue’; lyrics such as “You’re taking your long rest now/I won’t see you ever again/but I will always love you” are bruising and wrought with a charged emotion.
‘The Socratic Method’ swaggers with confidence and raunchy riffs; it explodes with pent-up energy, and shows a more aggressive and powerful side to The Autumn Ravine. It’s a nice change of pace within the EP – by allowing themselves to show the different ranges they can reach, they’ve shown just how diverse and talented they are.
‘An Intrinsic Evolution’ is a truly heartfelt, and heart-breaking, piece of work. Each track soars with melodies, whilst their riffs crescendo and fall in waves of pure energy and bliss; this EP has shown that The Autumn Ravine are diamonds in the rough. A bit more polishing and they’ll truly shine.
JESS TAGLIANI