Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Tim Husmann, aka 1st Base Runner, recently released his second EP, Ellis, a five-track collection of inimitable music.
Ellis, a collaboration with Bryan Ellis, follows on the heels of 1st Base Runner’s album, Seven Years of Silence, about which Movie Boozer’s Rob Perez said, “Straight out of the unknown comes 1st Base Runner with ‘Seven Years of Silence,’ a mysterious, beautiful sounding album with complex music structure combined with atmospheric sounds that create something fresh and incomparable to anything else being played on the radio these days.”
The EP begins with “Near Me,” riding a quasi-funky rhythm made up of a fat bassline and tight, crunching percussion. Radiating hints of new wave savors and electro-pop textures, “Nears Me” conjures up vague suggestions of Depeche Mode crossed with the Eurythmics. Plush vocals imbue the lyrics with mysterious timbres.
“Flux” travels on a Molly Hatchet-like intro flowing into luminous new wave layers of sound riding a galloping beat. Potent, husky vocals infuse the lyrics with sensuous tones, followed by gleaming leitmotifs.
“Numbers” opens on a dazzling, bewitching drum shuffle rolling into bright washes of new wave colors and percolating, bubbling harmonics. There’s an aura of nostalgia permeating the tune, akin to a James Bond film, where one of the characters recalls something wonderfully happy.
“WXW” pushes forth on gleaming, swirling coloration accompanied by a throbbing, viscous bassline, while theatrical, sing-song vocals give the song an optimistic feel. The final track, “Man Overboard,” opens on futuristic tech tones, at once ethereal and industrial. Pulsing with bright leitmotifs, an array of sonic layers provides a matrix for breathy vocals.
Ellis is totally dissimilar from the hazy, smoky colors of Seven Years of Silence, demonstrating the evolution of 1st Base Runner’s sound.
Follow 1st Base Runner Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify