Eccentric Pop Records, 28 May 2020
Evening Shadows are winners at writing subtle, simple punk rock.
Evening Shadows aren’t who I thought they were. With members from bands like Valient Thorr and Strike Anywhere, I initially figured them to be shouty riff-monsters with heaviness and breakdowns and the like. But now that I’ve heard this self-titled debut, I’ve been proven dumb for my ignorance. The North Carolina-based band instead focuses on simple punk rock goodness, with subtle and clever melodies and unexpected pop hooks for days. In that way, they remind me of Bad Secret (a particular favorite from last year) or the fantastic Marked Men. There’s also a kind of Ramones-meets-end-of-the-road-Hüsker Dü thing going on.
Some of my favorites on Evening Shadows pop up during the first half and surprise me crazy. They’ve got a way with some intriguing melodies that seem beamed in from an alternate universe pop punk brain. The first two singles that were released before the album, “Karma Snakes” and the kind of DIY-inspiring “Psycho Chaperone”, both have guitar riffs that destroy and raspy vocal melodies that are subtle earworms and the rhythmic shift on the chorus hooks me as the line “wrapped around me, karma snakes” seemingly morphs into (I think) “wrapped around me, my mistake”. I don’t know, maybe I’m just hearing things – but I like it. “Total Waste Of Time” and “Spaces In Between” build with similar blocks and a desperate and anxious sort of rasp, but they’re catchy as can be, with the battering drums and the low melody on the back end of each verse of “Waste” leaving particular marks. And maybe my favorite song on the whole record, “Dick Around With You”, lands part way through this first half. With a Ramones-y “I don’t wanna” hook and sort of snotty Joey-esque vocals, the song wallows in simplicity and hits just right.
As the record tears through the back section, there is no let-up. Songs like “Paradise Wasted” and “The Spins” have slyly catchy vocal hooks while ripping through cool guitar leads. Defiant closer “Rules” has a cool bass that simmers so nicely under the surface. But my favorites on the backside are the one-two punch of “Break Up” and “Handsome Criminal”. “Break Up” has one of my favorite verses on the record, featuring a great guitar/bass/rhythmic hook at the end of each line that just won’t leave my brain. Meanwhile, the obstinate and daring “Handsome Criminal” is a sort of rhythmic mid-tempo romp that blends a Marked Men-type guitar riff with some more Ramones-type “oh-whoa-uh-oh” vocals. And the melodies on both are, once again, all the rage.
Evening Shadows makes me care. Maybe the best compliment I can give is that I wanna rip it off and am inspired to write and create because of it. It rips and I’m kicking myself for not pre-ordering the album. Fingers crossed it’s still available when I get the chance to buy it shortly.
Favorite song: “Dick Around With You” at the moment, but it’s changed like six times already
Favorite moment: the hook at the end of each verse line on “Break Up”
Favorite whatever else: the profound and subtle melodies and tips of the hat to the Ramones embedded throughout Evening Shadows
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
