Labels: Rosewood Union
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Not to be confused with either of the bands called Evergreen (by the way, if anyone has an LP by the Evergreen that doesn’t have Slint or whoever members on it, then please just send it to me without thinking), this is sorta lo-fi emo / indie from Illinois (which goes someway to explaining their overall sound). Not hugely lo-fi, but they use a drum machine. Heh.
They open up on the wobbly, fall-apart-at-any minute “Some Other December”, which would just kind of drift a long if it wasn’t for the chiming guitars and the programmed drum beat. The shaky singer brings to mind Joan of Arc (they go in for some weird electronic effects too), and there are some very pretty moments indeed, particularly when they introduce another guitar later on over some piano. The guitar sound reminds me of the one that Blacktop Cadence get when they go all nice on some of their songs. Definitely a song to dance around the room slowly to.
The b-side, “Once An Anchor” is cool too. More of that lovely guitar sound, woven together and over the drum beat. The inherent poppy bounciness suggests the Promise Ring, although it’s kind of slower. More weird electronic noises on this one, and this time the cutesiness of the singing reminds me more of the Kossabone Red (the guy makes those same cool ‘whoop’ noises) or Lovemen. My only suggestions for making this band better: try some violin, use more of those grouped, boy backup vocals. Do it.
I’d say check this out, because they emo but they don’t rock too much and they kind of be original too, yay! Fighting back, get pretty or crazy or noisy, do anything. Just take the rock out of emo, it’s gone on for far too long now. You know it makes sense.