EP Review: Eyal Erlich
- Spyros Psarras
- Sep 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 10
Hello to all the curious souls out there. It's been a month -more or less- since I last reviewed music for I've been caught up with philosophy, gaming, writing and work. The reason for breaking this silence is the case of Eyal Erlich - an artist who does not necessarily reflect the Sanctum's contemporary qualities, but that's purely because the artist himself originates in another space and time. Rooted in acoustic instrumentation and inspired by Classic Rock as well as Folk, Eyal Erlich creates narrative-driven pieces that seem intimate and auto-biographical yet broadly relatable. Let's press Play on a selected set of tracks and travel back to an era we've only experienced through our fathers' stories.
The sensual chord melodies that introduce All in All murmur tales of love, loss and longing in a language that only the heart holds the capacity to comprehend. Erlich enhances this sentimental blend through a heartfelt performance that works seamlessly with everything around it, meaning that his voice acts as an instrument among instruments. While the artist’s intense emotion follows the fiery guitars and vice versa, we stand before a vulnerable performance that sounds so private it's almost sacred. Erlich’s heartache feels devastating while at the same time alluring - a tantalizing combo that mirrors the ordeal of unrequited love.
With the following Jenny, we have 70’s Classic Rock brought back to life, effortlessly enough to make you think the artist's a time traveller. And even though ‘Jenny’s gone like a sunken ship, a sunken treasure’, 'she' possesses the qualities to stand strong among kindred, female-titled anthems in the likes of The Kinks’ ‘Lola’, Rod Stewart’s ‘Maggie May’ or even ‘Angie’ by The Rolling Stones which sounds just as melancholic. Either real or fictional, this Jenny character somehow builds a narrative around freedom and would certainly make an ideal soundtrack for a coming-of age film - the way I perceive it.
Then we have this solid Rock ballad, the beguiling Already In, which begs to be played live for the guitar solos alone. Erlich’s vocals get more sensitive and diverse during the choruses, exhibiting helplessness and futility ‘You come to me with what I don’t want to see- and I can’t speak, and I can’t leave’. Already In feels like the most intimate moment up to this point, presented as the artist’s odyssey to survive the challenges of love and hopefully, come through them alive. And if you’ve already experienced this kind of journey, you know the road is paved with loneliness and rejection. If you haven’t yet, oh dear! Good luck to you! But the pain is universal and Erlich’s music can be a compassionate companion.
This love affair of a review is ending with the helplessly romantic I Wish I Knew which, despite its elliptic character, carries a serious load of grief, hopes and fears. There’s a folkloric undertone offered by those chords, that manages to keep the track under a shroud of nostalgia - the kind of magic that personally keeps me 100% invested. Moreover, the pure poetry pouring through the lyrics gives enough information to visualize a whole movie inside your head or even inspire your own creative endeavors. Either way, I Wish I Knew is a perfect closer for a set of songs of this emotional calibre.
Without wasting words, Erlich sounds like an old soul who carries the torch of the great Classic Rock balladeers, keeping this golden era of music alive to this day. In his music, one can find honest, unfiltered heartbreak stories that come from a place of deep love and devotion - a rare sight in this day and age. That's enough reason for his music to take up all the space it can get and the Sanctum will be a proud supporter. Until next time, take care!
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