Review: Butter’s self-titled EP
Butter
Butter
Independent
When the butter is finally soft enough, it’s time to spread. After building and rebuilding over the last seven years, Perth seven-piece Butter reflect a bumpy ride in an ever-smooth package.
Opening with a re-recorded and extended version of Make It Home (Homie) from 2020’s I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, this revised rendition ends with a slow, soulful jam. Higher production quality this time around brings out much more definition in the arrangements.
Well-defined production continues throughout the five-track EP, crisp enough to almost feel air moving through the trumpet. The brass sound provides a near-constant chirping countermelody to the deadpan, crooning vocals. A suave mood from the singing and lyrics contrasts with the music, which is filled with hip-shaking beats and bubbly electric piano. The second song, Buggin, takes the EP into more light-hearted sounds, having the potential to be a new summer BBQ banger.
While having a more live sound with fewer samples than previous work, Butter’s signature hip-hop vibes are hardly lost. From sonic manipulation on Balance (released as a single in 2022) to sample-worthy hooks and musical phrasing across the release, the combination of soul, funk and hip-hop is reminiscent of Wildflower by The Avalanches.
These songs give the closing number, latest single Remedy, the feeling of a grand finale. Easing in with a lone, sombre piano, the bass and drums sit back with fat and funk, respectively. Passing the three-minute mark, little pops of synth trickle in and layered vocals ring out during the break. That funk the drums start with begins to burst and branch out into rattling rolls leading into the final chorus, turning the song’s melancholy into something stronger.
Despite only featuring one previously unreleased track, this EP makes for a nice musical package. All five songs feel stronger when they are played in the context of each other, as Butter bring their own unique style to a familiar sound.
AJ MAHAR