"A year after The Wooden Heart’s initial release, Kramies’ EP is now being re-released, for free! (Officially, October 22nd). So here’s a summary as to why you should take advantage of this free download.

Singer-songwriter EP’s are largely a display of emotion, provoking the inner most demons in each individual listener to beckon to the call of silent echoes. An oxymoron, but one that is quite understandable with The Wooden Heart. On the beginning of the EP, (somewhat ironically titled The Beginning), the power in sorrow-filled emotions, echoing Perfume Genius’ Put Your Back N 2 It, gracefully enter in illusive atmospherics, before vocals not to far away from Foxygen’s Sam France and delicate piano strokes begin this EP’s emotion filled journey.

Pianos on The Wooden Heart work almost as trigger warnings. Following track Sea Otter Cottage allures the willing listener with creepy, church organ tones before the single press of a calmingly clear piano key, slow rises the floodgates, with a rush of, less than heart warming lyrics, ready to pull you under.

'Don’t sink us now, don’t leave me drowning/Let the sun dry us out, dry me out/The waves hide the sound of pulling us down/And I don’t want to say goodbye.'

Happiness truly feels like an illusive element on The Wooden Heart openers, until you come across the array of hope from the title track itself. A grand stature of mellifluous, acoustic chords and rising sub-elements of percussion and the now happily nostalgic piano tones, each element flow across this near five-minute ballad, like a snowflake caught in a crosswind, as no sense of the heart-rending proportion of The Wooden Heart can be found.

The only real downside to the entire EP, is the ending, named, The Ending. But at a second glance, it’s actually, quite compelling. A complete isolation, where only the echoed acoustic chords are heard in perfect unison with Kramies delicate vocals, he sings out the ending to The Wooden Heart, in just forty five seconds, announcing his unrequited love to us all, as the remaining twenty+ seconds are left with static.

Peaking at it’s most beautiful point, The Ending, feels sudden and intrusive, leaving you wishing for more, as you now lay coiled up in the corner, with the utmost anguish. But then, as the gold rays of sun appear through the abyss of The Wooden Heart, everything begins to unite into one parallel line, with the EP’s story piecing itself together, leaving you rejuvenated and uplifted from this largely sombre work, as now you understand the true concept of the EP entirely, before diving straight back in, and welcome the lingering taste of this sadistic beauty. 8.5"

- <a title="Velvet Independent" href="A%20year after The Wooden Heart’s initial release, Kramies’ EP is now being re-released, for free! (Officially, October 22nd). So here’s a summary as to why you should take advantage of this free download.  kramiesSinger-songwriter EP’s are largely a display of emotion, provoking the inner most demons in each individual listener to beckon to the call of silent echoes. An oxymoron, but one that is quite understandable with The Wooden Heart. On the beginning of the EP, (somewhat ironically titled The Beginning), the power in sorrow-filled emotions, echoing Perfume Genius’ Put Your Back N 2 It, gracefully enter in illusive atmospherics, before vocals not to far away from Foxygen’s Sam France and delicate piano strokes begin this EP’s emotion filled journey.  Pianos on The Wooden Heart work almost as trigger warnings. Following track Sea Otter Cottage allures the willing listener with creepy, church organ tones before the single press of a calmingly clear piano key, slow rises the floodgates, with a rush of, less than heart warming lyrics, ready to pull you under.      Don’t sink us now, don’t leave me drowning/Let the sun dry us out, dry me out/The waves hide the sound of pulling us down/And I don’t want to say goodbye.  Happiness truly feels like an illusive element on The Wooden Heart openers, until you come across the array of hope from the title track itself. A grand stature of mellifluous, acoustic chords and rising sub-elements of percussion and the now happily nostalgic piano tones, each element flow across this near five-minute ballad, like a snowflake caught in a crosswind, as no sense of the heart-rending proportion of The Wooden Heart can be found.  The only real downside to the entire EP, is the ending, named, The Ending. But at a second glance, it’s actually, quite compelling. A complete isolation, where only the echoed acoustic chords are heard in perfect unison with Kramies delicate vocals, he sings out the ending to The Wooden Heart, in just forty five seconds, announcing his unrequited love to us all, as the remaining twenty+ seconds are left with static.  Peaking at it’s most beautiful point, The Ending, feels sudden and intrusive, leaving you wishing for more, as you now lay coiled up in the corner, with the utmost anguish. But then, as the gold rays of sun appear through the abyss of The Wooden Heart, everything begins to unite into one parallel line, with the EP’s story piecing itself together, leaving you rejuvenated and uplifted from this largely sombre work, as now you understand the true concept of the EP entirely, before diving straight back in, and welcome the lingering taste of this sadistic beauty. 8.5" target="_blank"><strong>Velvet Independent</strong></a>