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In honor of the October 2020 Bandcamp Friday, I present to you "Clones". 24 Minutes, 4 Tracks, Inspired by the desktop setup in this instagram video

www.instagram.com/p/CE_99K-BuxM/

My good friend George Evans (Suncastle) wrote a very nice review of it below.

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As you're no doubt aware if you're reading this, now is a fantastic time to be a fan of the music of one Michael Southard. Yes, a new record by the name of 'Clones' is here already, and you'd do well to let your brain get to know it. Time Rival EPs are materializing faster than the spread of (REDACTED), though admittedly their symptoms are far more desirable: the apparent banishment of all your troubles, the uncontrollable desire to nod your head (thank Xenu he's sticking with the percussive approach), and of course, the acquisition of spectacular music! A mere month since the release of the sublime 'Fell' which saw Southard experimenting with shorter musical sketches in a patchwork of complementary musical colours, 'Clones' instead allows Southard's songwriting to breath and reflect upon itself in fewer yet larger individual instalments.
That being said, melodic ideas recur throughout in a sort of rhyming format, made all the more evident from the similar sounding song titles. A story told from four different perspectives, without the utterance of a single word. Such clear intent of melodic narration brings to mind 2015's Attractor EP, proving while artists grow and develop, the good ones don't lose sight of what was never broken.
Four stunning pieces make up 'Clones', finely tuned yet expansive movements to a symphony from the utopian future. Opener 'Primes' strides confidently into the foreground and clicks to life, bringing with it the spectacular sense of wonder listeners have come to expect and are seldom let down. The subtleties in the percussion of the following 'Crimes' give bonus flavour to an already competently arranged piece surging onward with deserved jubilation. The stuttering drum-work anchors an exploratory melody enveloped in an ocean of long drawn out pads that sound like merciful Poseidon taking deep commanding exhalations, and the looped piano refrain right at the end is endlessly lovely. The slightly hazier 'Blooms' dives deeper into the artists subconscious, initially punctuated with intriguing disembodied pitch bends, giving way to a veritable micro-explosion of auditory matter. Closer 'Plumes' rounds things out in a gentle flotilla of piano notes and low-cutoff warbling synth pads, tied neatly together by occasional flourishes of woody chiming. This one's the least likely to get you dancing, but it's the standout track nonetheless in terms of sheer beauty and emotional depth.
It can't be overstated just how enjoyable a listen this short EP is. Be sure to get hold of this one for Bandcamp friday. Sure the impulse to create pretty music comes as natural to Mr. Southard as squinting does to Clint Eastwood, but creations this good merit support, and I'd personally like him to make a lot more of these, a little transactional encouragement might go a long way in that regard!
~George Evans