A girl’s voice carefully seeps through the phone-speakers, leaving its last message for a love that is not lost, but must leave. A love that lived in the illuminated streets of Las Vegas, where the paths of a girl from Salt Lake City and boy from Colorado intertwined into a beautiful, but now broken story. Once she has nothing left to say, the call cuts out, and so does the connection between the young lovers. This is the story that Quinn Ayers tells on his latest EP “Necessary Emotions.”
On this project, the Las-Vegas artist, formerly based in Northern Colorado, paints an emo-tinted alt-pop soundscape that takes listeners on a gloomy journey through Quinn’s emotions following a heartbreak. The work takes on a mellow, somber tone through acoustic guitar riffs and soft vocals, while delivering a powerful, authentic message.
The opening track, “Broken,” builds up a deep texture of guitar strums and drums, crescendoing into a broken moment of isolation, as Quinn’s harmonious call, “I can’t seem to make you stay,” rings out, hopelessly seeking a lost love. It is the loneliness of this moment that listeners rest in for the remainder of the EP.
Despite remaining emotionally fixed on themes of loss and isolation, Quinn’s versatility shines through the voices he uses to communicate these feelings. In the bridge of “Want You, Need You,” the vocals make an abrupt jump from slurred to intense with a 2000s-punk-esque falsetto.
“Necessary Emotions,” more so than any of his previous works, showcases Quinn Ayer’s ability to take on different voices and styles to convey emotion.
Between the silky violin section on “Out of Place, Yet So in Place,” and the folkish melody of tangled guitar plucks on “Over Lies,” a plethora of memorable musical moments shine on this project. The most experimental of those moments comes on “Restless,” a creative composition featuring progressive voices and an undeniable hook.
The journey that Quinn Ayer’s takes listeners on in his latest project, “Necessary Emotions,” is a raw, intricate exploration of love and loss. As Quinn continues to stamp himself as a defining voice in the underground alt-pop scene, this EP is exemplary of the creative focus and emotional honesty he is capable of. Be sure to check out “Necessary Emotions” wherever you get your music, and connect with Quinn Ayers on social media @quinnayers
