William Ryan Key in recent times has been best known for his work with Yellowcard, who over their 20 year period as a group ten studio albums before calling it quits in 2017. Now Key has chosen to point his creativity and attention elsewhere, this had now lead to the creation of the EP Everything But Desire. Originally released in summer of 2020 on his Patreon, in the midst of the global pandemic, the EP has now been fully mixed and masters by Key’s friends Ryan Mendez, Erich Talaba and Mike Kalajian. The introspective EP which Key has used to examine his own mental health and seek peace, ushers in synth soundscapes mixed with serene vocals.
Everything Except Desire is an album for the night hours, wandering through the streets it acts as an almost soundtrack to the journey. The light and gentle keys of opening track “The Swim Back” and the warm deep bass of “Brighton” give everything that bit more life and make everything feel at ease. There are moments scattered through where the track will go down to its bare bones, with either a lonely string sample or a glistening synth that feel like taking a deep breath.
The seamless transitions between each track on Everything Except Desire allow the mind to suspend disbelief and wander, the EP in a state of flux as each track having its similarities but also notable differences. There is more forthright expressions in “Brighton“, with a lamenting bass and a beautiful vocal performance on the chorus from Key. There is a contrast to what follows in “Heaven” with its perkier beat, however each feel as they’re part of one full extended listen.
The aforementioned “Brighton” and “Face in a Frame” are Everything Except Desire‘s high points, on the latter the combination of the gleaming synths with with a steady tempo on the bass builds the track up. It refines the line between floating ambience and more refined structure, with the synths that move around the ear giving it that ambiance and the vocal melodies building the track up into something more.
As the violins and keys close the EP out with “Union Chapel“, there’s a light catharsis to Everything Except Desire‘s. With the lack of vocals, it feels like the ending credits where one reflects on whatever they have just experienced. There is plenty here to like, in both length and sonically it’s an extremely digestible EP that provides a brief respite from the mind. As a starting point for this project to go further, there is plenty for William Ryan Key to build on here. With an expansion on the elements present and further experimentation it will be of interest to see where this project heads next.
7/10