Ephemeral Fires - Still Falling

Ephemeral Fires

Still Falling
self-released; 2015

3.3 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Nick Curcio aka Ephemeral Fires has been performing and recording for over a decade but he only recently released any material. A couple of months ago he released a five-song EP entitled Still Falling. To be blunt these songs don’t need a whole lot of explanation. All the songs revolve around an acoustic and his vocals. Furthermore, Curcio strums rather than picks his guitar around relatively basic major and minor chords.

Still Falling may not be the most innovative or original music to come out this year but that doesn’t mean Curcio doesn't write good songs. He has a warm, attractive voice that with a little bit better post-production could be something you would hear on mainstream radio.  Lyrically, Curcio sticks to plain, simple language that veers away from poetic ambiguity. His lyrics are transparent and mostly revolve around love, relationships, etc. Curcio does however sometimes cleverly use metaphors and analogies to imply his message.

The first time you listen to Still Falling the songs might blend together because of the lack of instrumentation or dynamics. With repeated listens you will catch on to the subtleties and nuances of the songs and probably find your personal favorites. The first track “If the World is a Stage” is one of the highlights. Curcio delivers a memorable chorus when he sings, “I know it’s strange we can be the actors in a play, you can write the script, hang on every line till I'm convinced these words are mine.”  As I said before Curico has a good voice but he doesn’t always hit every high note with accuracy on “If the World is a Stage.” It’s not overt but if you are paying attention you will notice it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you like raw recording, which shows a more human side.

“As You Pass Me By” is a soft, emotionally resonant song that I could see a lot of ladies liking. He seems vulnerable, honest and compassionate while singing about that special someone. Let’s just say young women are more inclined to enjoy this rather than a man who grew up on Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.

“In Other Words” sounds like a combination between Goo Goo Dolls and Dashboard Confessional while “Say Goodnight” is a melancholy closer. Overall, Curico’s music fits into a mainstream pop that could be appreciated by a wide audience. He still has some tweaking to do but I wouldn’t be surprised too see him have some success within that arena.

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