The Choices We Face – DROELOE

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 5/5 Stars

Impeccably accurate song titles assist in making the hardcore electronica of DROELOE’s EP more understandable by painting detailed pictures of otherwise  exhilaratingly abstract songs.

Ever since “zZz,” DROELOE’s unforgettable ode to dreams, I’ve been fascinated by DROELOE’s music style, with a popping castanet-like beat, satisfyingly haunting synth processions, the tinniness of each note and the fall off at the end always sounding like the touch of a music box. Their eeriness is analogous to the eeriness used in hip-hop today: while that’s used to represent a conflict, this is used to represent a fear of the unknown and exploration, exactly what the nature of electronic music is. The omnipresent skull in all their album covers is a symbol of their identity and a representation of their music: sometimes a little unorthodox, but always with the DROELOE touch.

Often times, it’s difficult to understand the message of electronic songs because of their abstractness, even with a song title. Peculiarly, DROELOE never has that problem, even with just minimalistic lyrics as hooks or choruses. And that’s especially evident on this EP, where each and every song title is an uncanny representation of the essence of each piece of music. Both the subtle and conspicuous differences in the harmonies of the songs are honed in on to show exactly why the song is named that way.

Something I really enjoy about this EP is that it is framed like a story. Instead of filler, each song truly is a meaningful part of that story which in this case is a journey and the choices made on it. “The First Wish” is the beginning of that journey, inciting a feeling of energy and excitement but also dreaming of the road ahead.  “Taking Flight” first exhibits hesitation but then after an uplifting interlude shows hope and determination, and finally the climax of flight, really the starting point of the voyage. “LIMBO” is a sinister depiction of being caught between two things, just like the cover of the album, clearly showing the agonizing experience of having to choose between two paths. “Step by Step” explains hesitation at taking the path less taken: “Did I walk too far, to turn around?” but then is contradicted with a liberating call as if by a voice in the head to do just that in “Turn Around.” By the end of the EP, DROLOE points to the inevitability of fate, and that the choices we face lead to beautiful places, in “Looking Back” where we see the wonderful place we have reached through euphoric and exhilarating music.

On The Choices We Face, DROELOE never disembarks from this unique sound for a second.  Shown by the album art, two very different passages stemming from a dark room, the artists want this EP to be about hard choices, when you have no idea what’s around the corner. This album is about the spirit of exploration, and going with the flow. Displaying the agony of indecisiveness, FOMO, as well as confrontation, eventually, what this EP tells the listener to do is to enjoy the experience, even the bad parts, because they’ll miss it when it’s over. Exactly how I felt when I finished listening to the album. An amazing collection of songs that exemplify their DROELOE-ness, chock-full of the motifs that they always use, it seems as if this album would lack in replayability what it has in quality. But because of the everlasting message that it brings, every time you listen, it’s a different experience. 💀