Photo by Carl Timpone
Exploring themes of love and loss, the experience of being an inflatable doll, the nostalgia of hopeful youth, and the eventual descent into madness while grappling with the ramifications of climate change, Eddy Lee Ryder’s new EP, Blue Hour, is out on September 15, 2023.
Each track on Blue Hour is a unique story on an emotive canvas. With its haunting melodies, thought-provoking lyrics, and skillful storytelling, it is an enthralling fusion of musical prowess and thematic depth. The opener, “Road Dogs,” embodies the recklessness of youth. “In many ways, it’s about nothing and everything,” shares Ryder, who wrote the song in bits and pieces over the course of several years.
A tale of love and darkness, “Holy Sh*t I Think I Love You” was inspired by a devastating breakup. Setting out to write a classic lyric ala Paul Simon’s “Let us be lovers, we’ll marry our fortunes together,” Ryder ended up crafting an unintentional murder ballad depicting a Bonnie & Clyde-esque journey. Calling it “my favorite song I’ve ever written,” Ryder even commissioned a billboard of the single artwork outside her ex’s home so that he will be reminded of her and her music every day.
Continuing her signature style of storytelling songs about unexpected characters, “Inflatable Lover” imagines life as a discarded inanimate object, while “Cold River” takes a more introspective approach, reflecting on feelings of isolation. “Even in the warmth of another person, love can become icy cold,” Ryder says. “Some days, I think it may be better to welcome the inevitable and find peace in its darkness, but in the end, the cold, much like the river, will seemingly do whatever it chooses.”
Blue Hour concludes with the title track, which Ryder facetiously calls her ode to climate change. It also reflects her profoundly personal choice to not have children due to the impact on the planet. While she explains that the song is “a story about how those who try to do their part to fix the world’s problems for their children eventually end up as cogs in the machine that perpetuates those problems,” it also shows a glimmer of hope. “The blue hour is the time of day when the last bit of light hits just before the darkness, and the song is about finding joy as the dark closes in.”
The stage name of NY-based singer-songwriter Liz Brennan, Eddy Lee Ryder’s music paints languid, sadly beautiful portraits of love and life on the margins with the moody and satirical depth of Father John Misty and the country-influenced textures of Roy Orbison or Glen Campbell but with a captivating voice all on her own. Ryder’s formative years were spent in upstate NY, where she became fascinated with classic rock, country music, and the old timers of a different era. With those influences, she creates haunting songs that tell dramatic stories through a slightly warped lens. Her unconventional approach to songwriting explodes and sparkles with ‘70s good-time rock riffs, moody piano, and complex poetry that unfolds in an arresting rock opera.
The songs on Blue Hour were originally intended for an upcoming LP; however, they didn’t quite fit as that album came to fruition. “I lovingly and jokingly refer to these songs as my ‘reject’ songs,” she laughs, “But they are some of my favorites. Collaborating with producer Joshua Sadlier-Brown, Ryder crafted a collection with a wide variety of influences that stands on its own while teasing listeners with a taste of what to expect on the forthcoming full-length.
Blue Hour is now available wherever you stream music.
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