BY: DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF

 

Singer-songwriter Andriana Lehr – known professionally as Mother Coyote – released her brand new EP, When the War Comes on Tuesday. The project serves as an introduction to Lehr’s recently revamped musical identity, which has manifested in the adoption of the “Mother Coyote” moniker.

 

When the War Comes opens with the sparse and atmospheric title track. It’s a notable choice to feature front and center, as there is no big rush to jump right into things. With understated piano and vocals, the track really takes its time in establishing itself and providing a sort of loose framework for what’s to come.

 

 

Fittingly, the title track explores themes of rebirth and change, the process of which is not always painless.

 

”Let the war come as the slate is cleared,” declares the songstress amid ripples of reverberation.

 

The project continues to lean heavily on piano-based arrangements throughout its duration. Track two of When the War Comes, “Eden” adheres to a similar musical palette as its predecessor, but incorporates a 3/4 waltz time signature that amplifies the stakes at points when the drums drop out entirely.

The tune continues to build as it progresses, with striking high-harmony vocals accenting later sections in a style redolent of the work of R&B singer Brandy in the early 2000s. Just under three minutes in, “Eden” hits a fever pitch before cutting abruptly, giving way to a spoken-word outro section.

 

Track three, “The Tower” adheres thematically to the conceptually approach set forth by the record. Lyrical imagery of blood, earth, and crumbling illusions harken back to the sort of naturalistic spirituality inherent within the whole of When the War Comes.

 

One has to admire the ambition of the arrangements within the which the songs themselves here are presented. Sonic dynamics play an integral role in the way these tunes move, with subtle piano triads often being compounded by guitars, strings, and punchy drums until things escalate into orchestral territory.

 

For any vocalist, keeping pace with such stark dynamic shifts throughout the entirety of a record is no easy feat. But Mother Coyote navigates the arrangements with dexterity, with breathy restraint, soaring highs, and forceful wails serving as but a few of the tools at the artist’s disposal throughout When the War Comes.

 

”Great Unknown” brings things to a close, leaving listeners with a sense of hope in a world of daunting, if not insurmountable adversity in the face of genuine efforts  to thrive.

“It’s a long way home, but it’s closer than you’ve ever known,” is among the early passages from “Great Unknown” which reiterates the conviction of preceding tracks albeit with an added tinge of confidence as though a certain weight has been lifted.

 

Described by the artist herself as, “esoteric alt-pop that balance[s] themes of birth & death, individual & collective healing, & the endless spiral of soul searching that fills the spaces of the human experience, shingling a light in the darkness for all to look toward,” the music of Mother Coyote embodies a certain humanity and universal connection shared between all who care to seek it out within themselves.

 

These themes are readily apparent in the brand new EP from Mother Coyote, When the War Comes, which. is available to purchase and stream digitally now.