EP Review: Election Year

There is a lot to unpack with Brendan John Roch’s new EP, Election Year. Across five tracks, Roch delivers a body of work that feels much bigger than its runtime suggests. This is not your typical hip hop record, and that becomes apparent from the opening moments of Hopesoever.

An opening sample gradually opens up into a disjointed rap beat that somehow works incredibly well. There are moments that remind me of Massive Attack and the trip hop scene, while Roch’s lyrics feel closer to poetry than conventional rap. His delivery has an honesty to it, almost as though he is standing in a room telling you exactly what he thinks. You can hear it in the way he runs each line until his breath almost gives out. He has plenty to say, and he is not holding back.

A Chain Offered To Demons brings in some very full jazz drumming, with a musical arrangement that reveals more the longer you listen. There are moments that remind me of The Streets, but with a distinctly New Zealand flavour. The production has plenty happening beneath the surface, yet the lyrics remain front and centre. It is a fine balance between musical complexity and words that demand your attention.

The Hollow Guard opens with a delicate, almost Radiohead sounding tinkle before settling into the most grounded beat on the EP so far. The approach remains consistent, which is a credit to the overall vision. Roch is not chasing mainstream production trends. Instead, he lets the poetry, delivery and beats do the heavy lifting.

Then comes Marxist in the Middle, the closest thing here to a dance track. The flow is faster, the rhythm locks tightly into the beat, and the big tuba lines in the chorus really push the track forward. You can hear the compressor working with every kick drum, giving the production a pumping energy. There are moments that remind me of Unknown P, although Roch brings his own lyrical depth to the approach. Released as the EP’s lead single, it also carries the record’s sharpest political message, challenging the left’s retreat from transformative politics.

Finally, Colours flips the whole thing on its head. Singing and piano chords open the track before the piano settles into a rhythm that carries the song. It is a welcome change of direction, and the ending delivers a surprise I certainly was not expecting.

Roch grew up in Ōtepoti Dunedin, and his writing draws on everything from politics and journalism to Roman Catholicism. Working alongside producer Mark Murray, he combines classical influences, including Late Romantic textures, with modern beats and shifting basslines. The result is something that feels distinctly its own.

Election Year is angry, thoughtful, unconventional and full of ideas. It rewards repeated listening, with the production offering as much to discover as the lyrics themselves. This is a fantastic body of work to be called an EP.