Greetings lovely readers and wonderful music fans. Today we are highlighting the work of the amazing Eric Hansen. On his debut EP Seasons of the Wind, which was released on the 8th of March, Erik Hansen of Washington breaks out from his band Fallen Angels as a solo artist. Seasons of the Wind, which consists of five tracks, introduces listeners to Erik Hansen as a solo performer. The album’s rich heritage is audible throughout. The EP offers audiences a wide range of issues to connect with, including themes of space exploration, mortality in the face of disease, and the necessity to persevere through all of life’s obstacles. Erik Hansen and Queensryche’s Pamela Moore co-produced Seasons of the Wind. Chris Gohde (My Sister’s Machine, Accused A.D.) played drums, and Erik Hansen’s father John Hansen played pedal steel guitar on Horizon and Forever Dream. Now let’s dive into this fantastic EP.
The EP is introduced by “The Road”. The song has a very energetic opening that will give you chills. The song talks about the journey of life and its ups and downs and the persona assures the person he’s speaking to that he’s looking out for them (” I’m looking out for you”). The song is a typical rock complete with a world-stopping electric guitar solo. The song does a fantastic job of ushering listeners to the musical journey ahead of them and giving them a taste of this musical masterpiece!
“Send Me a Sign” is another rock-infused song. It’s the trashy soundtrack to all the dumb questions you’ve ever been asked, all the people who have ever cut you off, and all the last-minute jobs that have been completed five minutes before work ends. Drawing inspiration from 90s punk, Green Day and The Offspring blend with contemporary production to create a furious song that feels instantly timeless.
Guys! The guitar elements in this song are SHOWSTOPPING!!!. They hold the song together and the vocal performance is raspy and powerful with just the amount of angst that the song needs.
Next on the EP is “Horizon”. The song is a change of the tone in the album, this country folk-infused song talks about life, and in the song, the persona is reflecting deeply on life. The song is introspective and its message is highlighted by the acoustic guitar elements. You normally don’t hear a fusion of electric guitar and acoustic guitar on the same song, it’s either one or the other but the song was able to accommodate both sounds without sounding too much and that is very very commendable!
“Traveler” is introduced by a very exciting drumline before the guitar elements are introduced as well. The song talks about a persona who is asking his lover to go on a journey of love with him and wrap him in her arms(”wrap me in your open arms”). The song is an endearing story about love and the passionate vocal performance only enhances the message of the song. The song is a well-paced electrifying song with incredible guitar elements that transport you out of this world and into another dimension!
The EP concludes with the beautiful “Forever Dream”. The steel guitar sounds are fantastic and the story talks about the persona telling his lover what she means to him and how they should meet up even in the afterlife ( “In the end, I’ll meet you there and we can sleep and forever dream”). He is convinced that their bond is very deep and that will exist even in the afterlife. The song is very energetic and intense and John’s guitar playing is immaculate. This song is the perfect end to a perfect EP and leaves you with an exciting feeling long after the EP has ended.
Seasons of the Wind is an unabashed rock EP, influenced by the thrashy guitar that Hansen first heard in the music of bands like Nirvana and The Offspring as a youngster, as well as the influences of AC/DC, Deep Purple, and Metallica in the 1970s and 1980s that he eventually came into contact with.
Erik’s EP is unquestionably a rock record, but it also combines folk and poetic components for a cohesive piece that will appeal to listeners of all stripes. This was a fantastic EP that proves that Erik is indeed coming into his own as an artist!
Stream “Seasons of the Wind” EP on Spotify
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