EVOKE's "CRYPTID" hunts the shadows of the self and finds something wildly honest

EVOKE is particularly skilled at making the uncanny feel all too relatable, a quality they continue to demonstrate with "CRYPTID," the band's new single. The second single to be taken from the forthcoming "CRYPTID EP," this track is a heady mix of dark humour, razor-sharp lyricism, and expansive self-production. With "CRYPTID," Evoke is creating a universe where monsters are mirrors and music serves as therapy.

On first listen, "CRYPTID" feels like wandering into an anthropomorphized, foggy forest where the myths of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster might actually brush past you. Still, the real monsters here are human: addiction, mental health battles, and the torturous layers of queer identity. Evoke is not afraid to tackle these weighty subjects. But instead, they package them up in a tongue-in-cheek metaphor that's just as clever as it is cathartic. There's an earnestness to every line, every beat that demonstrates just how stirring vulnerability can be.

The production is self-made in and of itself, and provides the song with a very organic, rare intrinsic nature that you don't hear from many other artists. Think Aesop Rock's introspective density and Jon Bellion's genre-bending adventurousness, sprinkled with Twenty One Pilots' emotional friction. Whether basking in the carefully crafted layers of soundscapes or soaking up every detail from each lyric, it's apparent that Evoke is an artist who has an implausible level of control over their craft.

And for collectors and lovers of physical media, it comes with a limited release of the album on cassette, available over at Bandcamp, adding a tangible, old-school element to "CRYPTID." But even in its digital form, the song's dark wit, layered production, and human complexity come through loud and clear. If this single is any indication, the coming album cycle will be a bold, emotionally rich journey that no one will want to miss.

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STREAM EVOKE "CRYPTID" on Spotify.com