Ted Eckhardt has been at this music thing for a while, but with Mind at Ease, his solo project Peacock Coyote finally arrives like a well-worn leather jacket; timeless, effortlessly cool, and vaguely smelling of nostalgia. If you like The War on Drugs, heartland rock, or just the idea of staring meaningfully out of a car window while pretending you’re in an indie film, this is for you.
The four-track EP drifts between dreamlike reverie and road-trip anthems, layering shimmering guitars, reverb-drenched synths, and just enough vocal yearning to make you wonder if you, too, should be reflecting on life’s fleeting beauty.
High As A Kite kicks things off with an appropriately floaty, atmospheric sound, drenched in reverb and longing. It’s got an ethereal soundscape, building on layered synths and reverb-soaked guitars that create this feeling of weightlessness. It’s got that driving down an empty highway at 2 a.m. energy, somewhere between escape and existential crisis. The guitars glisten, the synths shimmer, and if you close your eyes, you can almost see the end credits of a coming-of-age movie rolling.
Then comes Wonderlush, which is exactly as lush and wonderful as the name suggests, as it follows with a more propulsive energy, featuring a hypnotic bassline and a driving beat that feels like an open-road anthem. There’s a strong Springsteen-y, “we gotta get out of this town” vibe, except instead of actually leaving, you just stare dramatically at the horizon. The chorus explodes into something euphoric, making this the most arms-wide-open-on-a-cliffside moment of the record.
Things slow down with Love You Everyday, which swaps the grandeur for something more intimate. Plucked guitar playing and a steady drum beat sets the stage for a heartfelt ballad about devotion, and honestly, it’s refreshing. The vocals are raw, the emotions are laid bare, and if this doesn’t make you feel something, check if your heart is still functioning. The way Ted sings “I get to love you” feels so earnest and great at portraying the feeling that he is indeed, one lucky fella for being able to love you.
The EP wraps up with Let It Flow, a barn-burning closer that takes its time in a way that feels like a deserved musical victory lap, because it knows you’re going to sit with it. Without spoiling too much, the track simply rocks.
Overall, Mind at Ease is a testament to Peacock Coyote’s ability to something that feels both cinematic and personal. By balancing grand, cinematic production with his heartfelt lyricism, Mind at Ease is a must-listen for anyone who has ever gazed at a sunset and thought, “Yeah. This is it.”
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
