8/10

There's this appealing openness to 'Yielding'. Throughout its runtime, the debut EP from Burlington, Vermont duo first known use never feels overly concerned with pinning itself to one sound or one interpretation. Instead, Izze Kaukonen and Ethan Fitzpatrick hone the project around curiosity, atmosphere and the idea that songs are less inventions than things waiting to be discovered.

For first known use, music exists somewhere beyond the musicians themselves; as writing and recording are almost acts of translation. It's an abstract idea, but it gives the project a clear creative identity, as the duo seem more interested in what happens when you follow a song rather than force it into shape.

Kaukonen's warm, controlled vocals and quietly assertive lyricism sit against Fitzpatrick's relaxed guitar work and shifting arrangements, creating a sound that can feel intimate one moment and slightly unsettled the next. The duo’s stated reference points, including feeble little horse and mary in the junkyard, make sense in the way familiar indie textures are allowed to bend into something more exploratory.

The EP's quieter passages, most notably in the first halves of 'Semantics' and 'Mirage', are particularly effective because they leave space. Instead of filling every gap, the pair allow atmosphere to do some of the work, letting the songs breathe while still maintaining a sense of tension underneath. While tracks such as 'Synthesis' prevent that softness from becoming too comfortable, pushing the project towards rougher edges and more experimental territory.

But 'Yielding' never sounds like a duo trying to prove how unusual they can be. The experimentation feels more inquisitive than confrontational, rooted in the same desire to examine the smaller cracks and overlooked moments of human experience that shape their writing.

As debuts go, 'Yielding' feels like an invitation into a wider aesthetic as it plays. The duo already know the territory they're drawn towards, but what makes this project exciting is how willing they seem to let the songs decide where to go next.