Rasputin's EP "Crush" will help get you through the winter

Massachusetts-based ambient rock band Rasputin released their 6 song EP "Crush" on December 10th, and we've been vibing along since. The EP successfully melds airy ambiance, heartfelt lyricism, and aggressive vocals into one cohesive piece. Covering topics like abandonment, depression, and the feeling of losing yourself, this EP feels cold in the way only December and January can feel cold. If the wintertime is difficult, or leaves you feeling hopeless, this is an EP that knows exactly how that feels.

The first track "Chasing Ghosts" jumps directly into these heavy topics, with lyrics like "Can you tell me how I'm broken? What would this mess of me become? Could I have all of this undone?" -- The band really portrays the feelings of hopelessness and nihilism in a way that helps listeners remember that they're not the only ones who have been plagued with these feelings.

The second song on the EP "Comfort" (featuring Nathan Calcagno) punches listeners straight in the chest. Aggressive vocals retching out feelings of guilt, and self-hatred in the verses like "I couldn't keep you safe, a bystander to your fate, besotted and bewildered I will freely stay the same" while the upbeat drums and guitar chug along. The song quickly switches to a much more airy sound halfway through, ending with a long instrumental period that allows listeners to sink into the emotions that have been thrown into them so far in this EP, and open them up for "a better place"; a song about desperate selflessness. "A better place" has much heavier shoegaze inspirations, with much of the song's vocals carrying a haunting reverb that definitely changes the tone for a moment.

The next song "sunset" is an instrumental track that is nearly impossible to not nod your head along to. It is dreary, but beautiful, and somehow also a bit of a bop. This track gives listeners a perfect moment to appreciate the real talent of guitarist and founder Camden Connor. This also is where the EP's turning point is. The next song, "Dither" begins with gentler vocals, and carries a lot of the same airy feeling.

The final song (and title track) gets lighter, discussing love, and the feelings of wanting to get better. Singer Tyler Tremblay solemnly asks "would you stay, if I swore to you that I could change?" which is a stark difference from where we began in the first track of the EP, where we were left lost and wondering if there was any way to find ourselves again. "Crush" offers us feelings of hopefulness we hadn't had before in the EP, which is lovely in a really symbolic way. The ending reminds us that even when things are heavy, they become lighter eventually. Even when the winter is the harshest, the spring will always come, and that's why we've grown to be big fans of this release.

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