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Lyrics:		7.0
Vocals:		8.0
Technique:		6.0
Replay:		5.0
Originality:		6.0
Score:		6.0

Elwood Emission is Lucy Kalantari, who is Luciar, who is a talented singer songwriter from Brooklyn with a beautiful voice and a broad taste in music. Under the name Luciar, Lucy writes piano based music that covers a number of varied genres, yet it’s all tied together by her ranging and soulful vocals. When Kalantari decides to explore sharper, darker and more ukulele filled territory though, she has decided to use the Elwood Emission moniker. Ode to the Ego, the debut album by Elwood Emission, which actually feels like more of an EP seeing as how it only has 6 tracks, is a trip through the depths of the darker, angry side of Kalantari as she chooses to take a turn at the industrial side of her varied musical palette. It’s an interesting venture, even if it’s not always a fulfilling one.

To say that Ode to the Ego is just a trip into paths that have already been tread by post-industrial stalwarts such as Nine Inch Nails or Ministry would be wrong. Despite the obvious influence of the popular ‘90s industrial movement, Kalantari makes sure that Ego has its own unique sound. On the opening track, “The Invitation,” we’re accompanied strictly by Kalantari’s voice and the strumming of a ukulele which ultimately leads into an electronic filled slow burn of a song, “Other,” that itself would have fit nicely into the alternative radio mix of 1996. Whether this is a good thing or not is up to you, but this type of music (which I was never a big fan of to begin with) seems to me like it has ran its natural course sometime ago. Luckily Ego refuses to stay stale, despite its short run time. The third track “Run” is more creative than the album’s two previous songs, and despite its rather inconspicuous beat it does pack a punch thanks to Kalantari’s impassioned vocals.

The latter half of the album is where things get more interesting or at least more enjoyable for me. “Despicable” is the type of absolutely angry track that an album that feels as bleak as this one just needs to have. With a line like, “You’re just a good for nothing fucker causing nothing but grief,” you can tell she means business. My favorite six minutes of the entire record though, is the final two tracks on the album. “Stillness” is the longest song on Ego and puts Kalantari where she belongs, behind the pearly white keys of a piano. The song is an atmospheric instrumental, showcasing Kalantari’s ability to craft an interesting song without the aid of her voice. It’s a dark and haunting piece that is very reminiscent of the piano based instrumental music created by fellow pianist Faith Coloccia last year under the name Mamiffer.

The final track on the album directly segues from “Stillness,” and is more focused on the swirling sound than the crunching beat. “Divine” is a piano based epic that is more moving than the rest of the disc as a whole and in my opinion is by far the best use of Kalantari’s voice. It’s a song in which the singer/songwriter’s natural musical talents can shine the best. Not that the genre path she has chosen to go down on the first half of Ode to the Ego doesn’t have its place, but it just seems that some artists are better suited for certain types of music. Lucy Kalantari is an artist that I would love to hear more of in the future, though maybe going by the name Luciar rather than Elwood Emission.