Erin LeCount demands to be heard on 'I Am Digital, I Am Divine'
- blondevibrations
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Erin LeCount has shown listeners every layer of her soul on her latest EP 'I Am Digital, I Am Divine', revealing not only a magnetic vulnerability, but her capabilities as a producer that light up each track.
We are thrown straight into the deep end of Erin's world, and she greets us there with a grand, theatrical performance right from the very first, titular track. Every moment across 'I Am Digital, I Am Divine' is laced with the same slow-burning, emotion-inducing build-up that we feel from coming of age classics like Lorde's 'Ribs', that calls the listener to hold on tightly every line as it is drip-fed to us. The grandeur in her voice is astounding in the delivery of lines like 'To ache is to be alive'. There’s strength in that aching feeling, and it grows more tender yet powerful with every beat and repetition. This is a striking introduction to Erin and her brilliance as a producer, lyricist, and vocalist. The final moments echo in your mind long after they fade, creating a seamless transition into what comes next on this project.
'Marble Arch' only continues to provide a showcase for Erin's high standard of lyricism, which never dwindles despite the production providing real highlights across this record. She balances all that is expected from such an ambitious EP, tying everything together to create a cohesive run of tracks, something so immersive and intentional. We are not just listening, instead becoming a visitor in Erin's ethereal universe. This song blends the vibrancy and delicate sparkle of Florence + The Machine with the storytelling flair and grace of artists like Griff. We see Erin in a place of urgency, searching for answers and clarity to provide her with redemption. Her glossy vocal harmonies on lines like 'I don't want to be cold anymore', paired with sweeping string instrumentals hit with an all-consuming precision.
We, as the listener, are drawn into her spiral of questioning, lines like 'Is there fault at my core?' and 'Am I hard to love?' yell to the void and echo in vulnerability. This track recognises and resonates with anyone who has felt that innate sense of misalignment in their circumstances and a lack of belonging, searching outside for answers to why. Those final moments are a haunting presence, as she grows increasingly more fragile, to the point of unraveling and repeating 'Am I cold to touch? Am I? Am I?'. This feels like each word strains from her body in total surrender. We, and her, are left in this aftermath where there is not a single breath left to exhale.
'Sweet Fruit' feels like far more than just a confessional-style journal entry. It feels like we have a front-row seat to a therapy session unfolding in real time, witnessing her reveal deeply intimate inner thoughts. Nothing is held back here. Erin is again creating that momentum of intensity, that dares to linger as a pit in your stomach. The bridge cuts through this brilliantly, as she cries to the void - a place that Erin has become acquainted with across this project. She nails the idea of musical vulnerability, providing that sort of awe-evoking feeling that The xx have long mastered. 'Sweet Fruit' explores the deep aching to be truly recognised by someone far beyond just a temporary, fleeting fix. Lines like 'I need someone/ to look through and see me , to rip out the weeds/ growing where my heart was' capture something more than desire, but taps into true needs. The plea of 'I need someone' in both the pre-chorus and outro paint this image of yearning for salvation, to strip away her perceived faults, the parts of her she no longer wishes to bare the burden of carrying around with her. Rather than pinning this on one person, Erin calls out to the gardener, the priest, the lover, the doctor. She searches for the one fix, if such a thing even exists.
'Godspeed' continues the legacy of powerful songs with this namesake, but Erin offers her own twist with this one. She writes to the girl who came after her. Lines like 'Do you recall, remember who I am? I'm the girl who said she'd love you til her dying breath' deliver a striking honesty, an acknowledgement of her haunting the narrative as history of love and life threatens to repeat itself once again. Though the subject of the track has moved on, Erin's echos are impossible to ignore as she lingers in the present. Erin revealed to fans upon its release that this song was written as a warning to the girl that her ex dated after her, the very same girl who provides backing vocals on the song itself. This is a testament to her creative vision, as every detail is so personal to her as an artist, and simply as a person. This track is another highlight for her production skills, her sound has become so realised as she carves out her space in the alt-pop world. This is such a commanding moment from the project, and it would be easy to imagine this performed as the climax of a live set.
What a way to close this brilliant five-track run. 'Silver Spoon' rightfully made waves online ahead of the EP's release, and its placement to close this chapter feels so perfect. It explores the feelings of resentment that simmers from loving someone raised in such starkly different ways, and how hostility and jealousy can creep into this tension. The title alone feels aware of this, as Erin unpacks her lived experiences. Lines like 'I bet you grew up eating at the table / Fed from silver spoons, reason to be grateful' carry grace as she jumps into the discomfort this can bring, witnessing someone receive a life that you could only dream of, it always felt simply unachievable. This image, contrasted with, 'I spilt the good wine, I panicked / A disaster, a knee-jerk reaction' portrays her own experienced instability, reminiscent of an environment that is not innately supportive and fear, over love, was seen as the default. Erin tackles difficult themes of privilege, and infertility, with nuance. The final line, 'Oh, maybe in another life' shows hope, yet is undercut with the acknowledgement that she could have lived circumstances that provided comfort over fear, and given her desired easily, if she was someone else, somewhere else. She, and the track, then flatlines. The pen has fallen from her hand right at the moment and she has nothing left to possibly say. This lays the EP to rest in a way that leaves you desiring more and more, at the edge of your seat.
'I am Digital, I am Divine' is a fully immersive EP, and this body of work showcases her creativity effortlessly. We cannot help but get, albeit probably prematurely, excited for a full-length record from Erin. Erin has a naturally interesting and introspective lens on her life and her surrounding experiences, and the imagery she creates is like no other. Each element is experimental, yet so true to her established sound and it makes this EP one of the most enticing releases of the year.
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