Created during a dance studio residency, EWAH‘s gripping full-length SPIRITUAL DANCE frames a teenage odyssey through post-punk bass, Italo-disco, and inventive use of found sounds, ranging from passing cars to muffled music between walls. The stylistic influences are also vast and enjoyable, including “psychedelia, Indian raga, swampy soul, Italian disco and punk squall.” The album pairs brooding, haunting soundscapes with reflective storytelling, incorporating real-world studio sounds to chart a journey of personal movement, displacement, and creative reclamation.
Following the opening prelude “Sun Beats,” which flows with hypnotic entrancement via meditative singing and gently ruminating rhythms, the album kicks into gear with the riveting “G Boogie.” A nocturnal atmospheric pull shows in the initial whirring effect and clock-ticking intrigue, followed by a dreamy delivery and steady rhythmic pulses; the result fondly resembles something a mellower Chromatics would produce. The ensuing “Do Wop Bop” channels a similar soundscape-driven mystique, strutting a brooding post-punk bass disposition amidst visceral lyricism (“pull my hair back to vomit…”) that ascends from murky nonchalance to a heightened “this is how the kids…” climax. A multi-layered, title-touting segment also captivates, showing no shortage of mood throughout the track’s enveloping production.
“Run” is another standout, with its lyrical daydreaming of changing locales (“been watching movies about city life”) shifting into a fish-out-of-water allure where people “don’t know my name.” The “running away” hook thereafter stirs through its vocal drive, head-nodding rhythmic griminess, and continued emphasis on being a stranger in a new place. An invigorating belief in finding “my own way” feels resonant and cathartic. “Where I Hear the Music Play” also compels in its evolution, progressing from hushed delivery on “I walked to the edge” into glistening keys, illuminating through the darkness and sense of motion conveyed by the lyrics.
Then arrives the album’s fantastic title track, written as a response to New Order’s song “Blue Monday” and its roots in Italo-disco. Delectably uneasy, layered harmonies combine with post-punk rhythmic flair for a captivating sound, reminiscent of The Knife in its pitch-shifting playfulness set alongside a brooding, dark direction. An artful hybrid of moody bass, shimmering guitar, and buzzy synths melds with memorable vocal lines, making for one of the album’s many standouts. “SPIRITUAL DANCE” is also accompanied by a memorable video (out on August 13th), representing a collaboration with filmmaker Ursula Woods, choreographer Izzy Lockett, and youth dance ensemble Stompin.
The highlights keep coming as the album’s conclusion approaches. “Sunday” consumes with its suave guitar twangs and sporadic phrasing precision, feeling very Lynchian in its cinematic sound. “Find Your Faith” is another gem, embracing lusher territory with hazy strums of guitar and effervescently serene backing textures. Jangling guitars and escalated singing prove especially moving around the midpoint. SPIRITUAL DANCE is a fantastic album from EWAH, full of inventive songwriting and deeply impactful soundscapes.
The release is complemented by the written compendium The story of ‘e’, exploring her creative philosophy across Bandcamp and live dates. Additionally, EWAH recently reissued the project’s 2011 sister record, GOSPEL DANCE, mirroring its DIY origins.
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