ETH – Somewhere But Here (Album – ScentAir Records)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: ETH aka Egil Thomas Hansen is a Norwegian project and a side-project from one of the Supercraft members. “Somewhere But Here” is the artist’s solo-debut featuring eight songs.
Content: The opening cut is driven by a dark and heavy, bouncing EBM touch while the vocals are rather Pop-like. This opening song is not totally representative of the album, which is progressively getting ‘sweeter’ and definitely Electro-Pop like. But the deep, vibrating sensation remains a red line throughout the work. The work reveals melodic parts while some classical retro passages might remind to Erasure (cf. “Smallest Little Things”). But I also noticed a moiré danceable song (cf. “Without You”), which is carried by a solid Dance/Trance lead. There also is the more sensual-like “The Memoir”.
+ + + : ETH has a talent to write cool melody lines and that’s for sure one of the main strengths of this production. One of the best songs also is one of the most cliché ones; I refer to the somewhat Erasure-like “Smallest Little Things”. “For All The Wrong Intentions” is another efficient track when it comes to the melody lines.
– – – : It’s probably intentional, but the production has something rough and unpolished, which is mainly accentuated by the low vibrating sounds. It creates a demo effect, which can’t convince me when listening to Electro-Pop. The production of the vocals can’t convince me. Last, but not least the final song is a poorly inspired end for an album, which only features 8 songs.
Conclusion: I expected a bit more from this artist who’s already involved with music for several years now. The global production has to be improved.
Best songs: “Smallest Little Things”, “For All The Wrong Intentions”.
Rate: (5).
Artist: www.facebook.com/egilthomashansen
Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords Read the news on ‘Somewhere But Here’.
About ETH
ETH is the solo alias of Norwegian musician Egil Thomas Hansen, also active with Supercraft. Production and mix credits under his own name go back to 2009, including appearances on the compilations “Circle Of Life” (2012) and “Electropop 8” (2012). “Somewhere But Here”, released via ScentAir Records in November 2020, is his debut full-length under the ETH name. Hansen continued the project afterward, following up with the album “Game Of Fools” in 2022.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
