I'll be honest. I hadn't really listened to Pelican all that much since City of Echoes was released in 2007. In fact, I think I gave that album two or three plays total; since then their discography has seen limited plays. I really have no logical explanation for my lack of listening. I think the "post-metal" craze got overblown and I fizzled out on the whole sound. Two years removed, Pelican returns with a brand new EP for Southern Lord Records, their first release since departing from longtime home Hydra Head.
Ephemeral is just a three-song EP but Pelican accomplish a lot. Since their untitled EP release, Pelican has slowly been infusing their sludgy metal-driven rock approach with more accessible explorations. With "Ephemeral" and "Embedding the Moss" we find the band regressing slightly from this mainstream influence. Leading off with the title-track, Pelican demonstrate their early incarnation isn't as far removed as fans and critics play it out to be. Bryan Herweg centers the opening sequence on a nice fluid bassline. This is partnered with some stoner-inspired riffing by Trevor de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec and a basic drum beat. After a few repetitions, the bassline continues, but the riffs transform to more metal inspired chugging. A sequence of twisting melodies and playful guitar tones cycles in and out before a subdued guitar solo hits. The song ends with more of their classic riffing. It's a rather short display at five and a half minutes, but packs a lot of punch.
"Embedding the Moss" is a bit lengthier at nearly eight minutes. This allows Pelican to draw out the transitions and incorporate a few more shifts throughout the song. Again the ban opts for a heavier beginning, the drumming of Larry Herweg is actually a main focus for the first minute before the groove of Trevor de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec hits their stride. About mid-way through the band reaches a point where you have a nice dual guitar piece; this then gives way to a stellar interlude where one guitar repeats a cool series of playful tones Unfortunately the last couple of minutes unravel with little to no excitement.
Also included is a cover of Earth's "Geometry of Murder." Earth is a band I've never really taken a liking to. I recall getting into their early material because of The Melvins and Nirvana but it never grabbed me. Given my limited curiosity with Earth, this cover is solid. It fits the Pelican sound well, so it works.
Ephemeral sees Pelican experimenting less with their more "pop" side, as they claimed to do so on the last album. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the new material just yet given this is a brief teaser. I'm on the fence where I'd like to see them go with the new full-length but this is a good start. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they decide to do before I come to any drastic conclusion.
