Berlin/London duo Lea Porcelain have released their 3-track EP Out Is In, enticing listeners worldwide to a range of in-depth instrumentals, placid acoustic riffs, and an end product that leaves me with a feeling of satisfaction and craving all at once.
Forming in 2015, the band’s mere one-year experience is impressive to say the least. Already, Lea Porcelain has captured the attention of many worldwide — and just one listen to Out Is In will tell you why.
Lea Porcelain Span Globe for Varied Sound
The EP as a whole is a delicate triad of the multifaceted talents and influences of the band. With only three songs, each track acts as a different chapter to the band’s story.
On one side, you have the heavy, synth-reliant title track opening the EP with a grungy, underground sound. The gurgling synth accompanies a sharp drum beat, projecting sounds similar to Thom Yorke’s “Hearing Damage.” Singer Markus Nikolaus’ vocals offer a sense of lightness to the track, easing up the tension of producer Julien Bracht’s instrumental.
Then you move on to the lucidly airy “Snowstorm,” which takes the listener by surprise and goes down a completely different path. This song isn’t something you’d expect to hear right after “Out Is In,” but rather something you’d hear as the credits of a coming-of-age indie film start to roll.
The song sounds like a sunset, warm in intonation and sleepy in vocals, caressing the ears with a vulnerable familiarity and a feeling of mellow tranquility. Along with the fuzzy guitar chords and the gentle beat of the drum set snare, “Snowstorm” is reminiscent of a rainy day.
“Well I’m looking at the snowflakes / and they all look the same / and the clouds are passing by me / they’re playing some kind of game” sings Nikolaus, adding the same level of haziness one would find in a dreamlike state of thinking. The lyrics replicate the thoughts of anyone fixating on the bad weather outside, both serene and observant. It’s as if Nikolaus is talking about nothing and everything at the same time, reciting every thought as they come to mind.
The final song, “Box of Glass,” fulfills the acoustic aspect of the EP. It is a softer, more introspective side of the band. Featuring vocals from Pearl, the track adds a more delicate characteristic that wasn’t necessarily obvious in the previous songs. Perhaps it’s Pearl’s feminine vocals or the peaceful mix of jingling tambourines and clashing symbols that make the song so soothing.
Whatever it is, “Box of Glass” ties Out Is In together well; it is the self-reflecting conclusion to the short-lived (so far) journey of Lea Porcelain.
