Michael Cepress EP by Michael Cepress | Album Review
The Washington State fashion designer debuts his Americana-coated sound on this eponymous release.
Michael Cepress has had a quite successful career in the realm of men’s fashion. Such the mid-2000s, his skills brought him his own label, a career as an instructor at the University of Washington’s School of Art, and numerous exhibitions, articles, and styling opportunities. Seeing the artist move into the musical space. His outfits clearly show that Cepress is drawn to the flowy, free-from style of the 1960s and 70s. The sound he delves into brings out the warmth of the American southwestern landscape. A longtime Roy Orbison fan, you can hear his influences coming through his music on this release.
We open the project with the bluesy country rocker “You Light the Fire.” I really like the sultry sway that the electric guitar gives the song. Michael’s soft vocal quality may not have the grit that compliments the sound, but I do find his melody to work quite well with the soundscape. Cepress pens an ode to a lover who has captured his heart. He is struck by this man’s free spirit and hippie aesthetic, “Earth, air, water, fire baby / Nature Boy of my dreams / Barefoot desert dancing’ angel / Sunset lovin’ supreme.” The Americana sound fits the imagery that Michael stirs up.
“It’s Never the End” is a much more folk-country-oriented track. This sound works really well with the slight twang of his smooth vocals. The earthy tone that the harmonica and guitar give brings to mind the setting sun on a crisp desert evening. Michael aches over the way things have ended with a past lover. He displays a continued fondness for him throughout the song, “I never wanted to make you leave or see you cry / I only wanted to lift you up so you could feel yourself fly / I knew all along we’d always be lovers and brothers and friends / And as a new day is dawning / I hope its never the end.” Lyrically, I do wish there was a little more depth to the start than what we have. It’s a little simplistic for me.
“Magic Boots” brings back some of the blues elements to his sound. Again, the band sounds fantastic. You get a real live feeling from the guitars, drums, and drums. Vocally, Michael sounds the strongest out of all the other tracks on this release. His warmth really compliments the sound really well. I quite like the story Cepress weaves in this track. As the title states, the song follows the many memories of love and happiness Michael shared with his partner, “Magic boots of desert leather / How it feels when we’re together / The love you gave me could make diamonds out of stone / You’re my poet out of nowhere / With the profile of a prince / Your black curls waving through the white sands of my mind.” It’s through these shoes that he found love once before, and it will be how he finds love again after this relationship has ended. This is my favorite off this EP.
We return to the folk country on “Be Yourself Again.” There isn’t much in the way of dynamics to keep you interested in this track. It’s 60s western sound doesn’t really change much from start to finish making for a bit of a dull listen. While poetically I understand Cepress’s sentiment of freeing himself from the bonds of depression and anxiety, it feels a little flat for me. The repetitive nature of the chorus, “And feel yourself, and see yourself / And free yourself and heal yourself / And free yourself to be yourself again,” becomes a bit old after the first cycle. To me, this is the weakest song on the EP.
We end the album with the warm earthy sounds of “Golden Boys of Summer.” The song sounds really nice. I think vocally Cepress sounds really strong here. I love the descending vocal melody of the chorus. Though sonically this is one of my favorites on the album, lyrically it's a little dense. A prime example is the song’s chorus, “It’s my call to you, the golden boys of summer / Bring your sweetness through your romance voice of thunder / We are all for you, the old are getting younger now / Seek a deeper truth, the golden age of wonder.” The general theme of stepping away from doubt and darkness does shine through however, it comes off a bit heavy-handed in its delivery.
I think this good introduction to Cepress’s sound and persona. The overall instrumentation really brings out his love for the country/folk genres. Each song brings out the desert qualities of the American Southwest quite well. While some songs felt a bit flat for me, I do think its a solid jumping point for Michael. As a gay man myself, I am always happy to hear queer themes in the country/Americana genres (something that I think Cepress does well hear). I look forward to listening to some of his more recent single releases to see how he has grown as an artist. If you’re looking for queer country with a earthy twist, give Michael’s EP listen as I think you’ll quite like it. My overall thoughts on Michael Cepress’s eponymous debut EP:
Loved it: “You Light the Fire” & “Magic Boots”
Liked it: “It’s Never the End” & “Golden Boys of Summer”
Disliked it: “Be Yourself Again”
My overall rating: 6.0 out of 10.
