Norphlet – “Norphlet”
Norphlet is a two piece Alternative Rock band featuring Cody (vocals/guitar) and Taylor (drums). The two met years ago while auditioning for an entirely different musical project. They hit it off immediately and began playing shows together for a couple of years before disbanding. Both guys went their separate ways but stayed in contact with one another. As years went on, Cody began finding himself more as a musician and linked back up with Taylor to record their debut, self-titled EP!
“After I had what I felt was a solid handful of skeletons, I reached out to Taylor, who had at this point moved to LA, for some feedback and to see if it was something he’d be interested in collaborating on. He was, and from there the idea of forming a proper project was born.” Cody continued, “I mixed the songs the following month, and after revisions, and a lot of back-and-forth, we found ourselves happy with the EP.” On May 4th, Norphlet released a five track EP that is an awesome debut! The EP begins with Brand New. I love this song as the first track on the project. The soft instrumentals and vocals eases the listener into the EP. “It’s ok. It’s alright. Go back to bed now, everything is fine. But I don’t buy it all, oh no. I can feel it in the rag and the bone, that everything has changed in my life. And I’ll be picking up the pieces ’til I die, it’s not life.” The song quickly picks up the pace as the drums and guitar come in fast and hard. A perfect Alternative Rock song.
Norphlet continues the EP with Heirlooming. This song might be my favorite on the EP. This song brings about so much nostalgia of the early 2000’s Emo era. The slow paced instrumentals remind me so much of a mix between The Spill Canvas and R.E.M. This will be a fan favorite; a song that fans will become obsessed with and every person in the crowd will sing along to. “I awake in the night again, to fine them hanging down, like vines from the ceiling. Tangled strands of almost invisible string, coiled around my neck as reigns, held by some great invisible king. You’re a god here.”
Norphlet changes the pace of the EP with The Recess (Interlude). This song is a great way to break up the album. It is only a little more than a minute and a half but it is filled with beautiful instrumentals. The guitar chords compliment the drumming so well! The EP picks back up with Omador. This song is a lot of fun! The upbeat guitar chords pick up the tempo perfectly. I love the lyrics on this song! “I am lost here and I don’t have a map, to any place outside this body. My fears and my regrets like oceans in an hourglass, the time it drowns me.” Norphlet finishes the EP strong with Cardinals. It consists of only an acoustic guitar that makes Cody’s emotion-filled vocals shine! “Yet I never do the things I wish I’d done, just keep finding new ways to fuck things up. And I know if I don’t do something I’m gonna hate who I become. Hate the person I’ve become.”
Norphlet killed it with their debut EP. It is a beautifully constructed album that pairs emotional lyrics with amazing guitar playing and drumming. On the future of the band, Cody stated “in late December, we’ll go into a proper studio here in Texas to track two new singles to be released in 2019, hopefully alongside some other cool surprises. From there, we’ll just be pushing those and continuing to write the best music possible.” I can’t wait to see what Norphlet has in store for us! Make sure to check out music from their debut, self-titled EP on the blog’s Spotify playlist: After Hours Review!