In the past few years, Bladee and Ecco2K have both begun pushing their music further in experimental directions. Shifting away from their original cloud rap sound, they’ve incorporated art-pop, hyperpop, ambient, trance, and EDM into their latest works. Bladee’s transformation from the monotone, depressive vocals on Eversince to the innocent naivety on The Fool has been a lot of fun to follow. Similarly, Ecco2K’s register shift towards a permanent falsetto on E compared to old singles and leaks has enabled plenty of experimentation in his musical evolution. Bladee and Ecco2K have always been in-sync with one another and their collaborations are usually the highlight of Drain Gang compilations. On Crest, the duo match up their creative trajectories once again to deliver the culmination of their artistic directions in recent years.
There’s something effortlessly enchanting about how Crest sounds and much of it relies on Whitearmor’s dreamy production. The bouncy percussion, glistening synths, and ambient atmospheres mark a spirituality much like Bladee’s 333. Reinventing his vocals to harmonize with Ecco2K, Bladee abandons his autotuned rapping for more traditional singing. While it deviates from Bladee’s otherwordly style, it does lend itself to matching up to Ecco2K’s wispy vocalizations. The end result is two artists who continually build off one another throughout the album. Trading hooks and free-flowing verses, Bladee and Ecco2K craft colorful palettes that dye Whitearmor’s ethereal beats. The opener “The Flag is Raised” is a repetitive yet entrancing dive into chromatic melodies and breathy vocals. “Desire is a Trap” feels like a flower blossoming as the sounds of nature give way to springy synths. Though the album itself is only half an hour in length, the 9-minute centerpiece “5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum)” is a stunning kaleidoscope of melodic progressions. Even the airy single “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” feels at right at home on Crest.
Crest sees Bladee and Ecco2K complete their newest artistic arc and it marks a culmination of their recent output. Of course, there are times when Crest is uneven and it’s evident that the sound isn’t fully developed. For one thing, while Ecco2K has long experimented with this style of ambient pop, Bladee has only recently reinvented his vocals. A lot of the highlights on the album are founded upon Ecco2K’s harmonies and breathy choruses. Bladee’s contributions are comparatively simpler and he doesn’t get a chance to shine in the same way he does when rapping. This happens on songs like “Yeses (Red Cross)” where Bladee’s repetitive hook simply doesn’t have the same pull as Ecco2K’s verse. Moreover, while Drain Gang has always loved the abstract and occult, these moments on Crest feel empty. The hypnotic trance of the songs rarely evolve into anything bigger than their individual components. Apart from “5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum)”, it’s often fairly easy to guess where the songs will go next.
In a lot of ways, Crest succeeds what it sets out to do. As two artists who have constantly pushed the boundaries of their sound, Bladee and Ecco2K are as natural of a pair as they come. Following the direction of their recent output, Crest is a spellbinding journey into the dreamy world they’ve crafted. It’s spiritual, brimming with melodies, and the joy is contagious. Despite a few missteps here and there, the duo’s transition towards synthpop feels natural. At the end of the day, Crest is intended to fill us with a sense of wonder and fulfillment over the joys of life. The album feels like dancing in utopia while blissfully being covered in a blanket of flowers. What else could you want?
Must Listens: The Flag is Raised, 5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum), Desire is a Trap
