Emotional Freedom Technique is the official solo debut of
Dave Depper, a Portland-based musician who'd toured the world many times over as a transient bandmember, sideman, and session musician for over a decade by the time of its completion. He technically had a couple of solo releases already, in a re-creation of
Paul McCartney's 1971 album
Ram called
The Ram Project, and the EP Utrecht Suite, which captured solo guitar and loop pedal improvisations while on tour in 2015. The year before that,
Depper accepted an offer to join the lineup of indie hitmakers
Death Cab for Cutie as multi-instrumentalist, replacing
Chris Walla. Work on
Emotional Freedom Technique goes back even further than that and was heavily influenced by a life on the road that made it hard to maintain relationships back home ("I stumble home, always alone/Will it ever be different?"). The album was made almost entirely in isolation, with
Depper recording all of the instruments himself, though there is a duet with frequent collaborator
Laura Gibson. That song, "Your Voice on the Radio," is a highlight with funky guitar, disco beats, and glossy keys that buoy his intimate spin on synth pop. The slower, more reflective "Anytime, Anywhere" has the sweetness and sheen of an
Erasure ballad, while "Communication" was written the day after the death of
Prince and uses a Linn drum machine closely associated with
Prince's sound. The album is loaded with vintage synths, grooving basslines, and simple hooks that contribute to a bittersweet quality when taken together with
Depper's wistful, unassuming delivery and lyrics that long for connection. It's a record that will keep heads bobbing through occasional urges to give
Dave a hug. ~ Marcy Donelson