I can say with confidence that there is not a single bad song on this EP, which is more than I can say for some infinitely more popular records, even from the most reputable artists. Though I’ve withheld a perfect score, given that one or two of the songs are noticeably lesser than the others, that disparity of quality is not at all enough to take away from the overall quality of said songs, let alone the entire record.

My biggest complaint with Lily Enos is the flow between the different songs. The songs themselves are not the problem, but rather how there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of thought about which songs were placed on the record, and in which order. Each song has a relatively unique style that appears disconnected from the one before and after it. It’s not a complete failure, though; thematically, the songs go together rather well. But the way that it goes from lo-fi to country-ish rock to rock-ish country isn’t very seamless either.

From a technical aspect, Lily Enos is masterfully put together. Enos has a borderline angelic voice, bold enough to please the most attentive music fanatics, yet low-key enough to be suitable for the casual/passive listener as well. The instrumentals are not to be ignored, either; including delightful and harmonic melodies that are so good that they could work as their own songs, even without the vocals. The team that put this record together deserves top marks, especially considering how much work and effort I’m told it took.

Lily Enos has a fine display of lyricism, including lyrics with substantial poetic value and musical finesse. The lyrics fit their respective tracks very well, and they don’t try too hard to tell some sort of convoluted story, nor are they too repetitive or drab. My biggest gripe is that, since Enos is ostensibly rather soft-spoken, the lyrics can be hard to understand at times, and might be off-putting to some.

This is a really fine EP, and one that I think many more people should know about. It’s friendly and easy to listen to, and perfect for coffee shops, radio  stations, or casual friend group meetups. It’s the kind of album you aren’t afraid to play loudly in the car, zoning out with a loved one. Though it’s not exactly the “you guys really gotta see this!” album that would earn a perfect score in this category, it is still something that can be admired by a wide audience.

As a whole, Lily Enos is rather middle-of-the-road when it comes to replay value. This is because, while one or two of the songs are definitely repeat-worthy, the others are rather plain, making it easy for one to listen to those tracks once and forget about them. Rest assured, though, that this doesn’t noticeably degrade the listening experience overall.

I have mixed feelings about the originality factor of this record. The lyrics are fresh and entertaining, giving the listeners a lot to think about, and the melodies are well-done. But for some reason, overall, they don’t accomplish a lot that I would deem “original” per se. If you were to separate each part of the song and then judge those based on their individual originality, they might fare better or worse. But, looking at the bigger picture, not a lot is done in a different way than most other artists would do them.

The introductory track on the record, Redo without a doubt steals the show. It perfectly encapsulates everything I love about the other songs into one beautiful arrangement. It’s pleasant and relaxing, yet distinct, and includes plenty of the delightful vocals that I love so much. It’s also catchy; I found myself humming along to the chorus for hours after listening. If you don’t listen to any other of these songs, please listen to this one.