Isaac Delusion’s Early Morning Ep Lulls and Wows [stream]

Isaac Delusion’s Early Morning EP is accurately named. Listening to it gives the sensation of being in-between midnight and dawn — the music wedges itself right into that space between two extremes, catching us in a hypnogogic state that hangs around for as long as the album is playing. Truly, “dream pop” is the best description for their sound.

Isaac Delusion is a mixed bag of immersive musical elements. Electro pop is the strongest, but there are also traces of folk and funk. Loic Fleury’s vocals are chilled out and airy, singing about positivity and freedom. They aren’t writing lyric-centered music, though — the lyrics accommodate the flow of the songs and the focus is clearly a visceral one. Listening to Isaac Delusion creates a feeling that’s both buoyant and attentive, and return listens will be a comfortable and seasoned go-to for stressful days.

Everything on Early Morning is perfectly timed, lulling the listener into a comfort zone then dropping in sensational sonic surprises. The indistinct female vocal sample on “Purple Sky”, for instance, makes for an enchanting and engaging listening experience. On “Transistors”, the entrancing loops and samples hover in circles until the chorus hook swoops in to summarize Isaac Delusion’s vibe perfectly in two lines. Fleury coolly croons, “That’s how it goes. That’s how it works between us…”

Early Morning is multifaceted, good for both beginning and ending a day, a dance record at a party or the backdrop between a few friends and conversation. The EP is also dynamic, meaning different things on different days. Early Morning is an EP of epic subtleties and energies deserving everyday play.