“erasrhead_” is the lead track and it sets the tone with its moody and somewhat ominous sound. The airy and ethereal soundscape is underpinned by 212ceilingface’s heartfelt songwriting that dwells on the drowning effects of love. The track is off-kilter and it’s just one verse before finishing off with a dynamic and cinematic progression peppered with psychedelic sound design. The follow-up track “LONDON TIPTON” starts with a layered and somewhat dreamy sound before the drums come into play. The fusion of pop sounds with punchy trap elements do blend and the hushed vocals that play throughout add an off-kilter and emotional depth to the track. On, “_mightaswel” 212ceilingface teams up with Ali’s Baby and the result is an experimental lofi/soul piece that is hard to describe in simple terms. The production is layered, and progressive and takes elements from different genres and the vocals have a distinct tinge that makes them airy and off-center. The lyrics are quite introspective and dwell on the ups and downs of love and the emotions that come with it. I must admit, the track can be jarring at times but it’s far from boring as there is so much to unpack if you pay close attention to the subtle messaging and nonconformist sound.

The project closes out with the laidback and gloomy “honda ghosts” and the atmospheric track titled “adjust”. “honda ghosts” sounds just like the title and it is made up of pitched-down samples, downtempo drums and an underlying vocal sample that makes the track scenic and gloomy. Here 212ceilingface pours his heart on wax and reflects on the many events that made him who he is today. On,“adjust”, the rapper takes us on a journey into his world and he gives a snapshot of his true feelings and the pain he has to endure to find his true self. Again, the production is extremely layered, and cinematic and makes use of dynamic sound design techniques that give off an out-of-body aural experience.

Overall, Thorns_Extended_Play is as eclectic and experimental as can be and the way 212ceilingface balances lyricism with his unique soundscape to tell a story is unique, different and cohesive. Lastly, I’d say it might grow slowly on people who are not used to this style of genre-bending music.