Pictures in the Sky EP

By Maya Ulrich

Joe Kelly, a University of Minnesota student, released a debut EP this November titled “Pictures in the Sky.” This EP is a introspective exploration into the role that our hopes, feelings, and physical bodies have in creating the world around us. 

Soft musings and guitar strumming direct the listeners into Kelly’s inner concerns and dreams—where words and weather are synonymous with one another. In the title track, the audience is introduced to a sentimentality that dwells on the possibilities we have within tangible grasp, but do not always have the emotional capacity to reach for. In this sense, the EP translates really well into a college sphere, and has a lot of potential both lyrically and musically. 

The strongest song on the EP is “Let You Be,” in which Kelly reflects on the difficulties of expressing his thoughts and the narrative that he has created between himself and the person to whom he is singing to. This song concentrates heavily on distance (in time and space), and how that affects how we view relationships and memories. Overall, the artist does a great job of connecting moments to imagery. The whole EP is like a love letter to someone he can’t talk to, something many people can relate to.

In fact, the entire project is idealistic, soft, and perfect for the winter weather that lies ahead. That being said, many of the songs are so dreamy and static that, whether intentionally or not, they feel like repetitive lullabies that put listeners to sleep.