Ah, here it is, the debut review of the Rock Report Card. I’m sure you’re all shivering with anticipation.
Without any further introduction, let’s get into it.
Band: Evans Blue
Album: Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume
Genre: Post-Grunge Rock
Year Released: 2006
Evans Blue is a Canadian rock band whose mixture of heavy riffs and chilling vocals are reminiscent of post-grunge rock bands such as Chevelle and 10 Years. Formed in 2005, the band released their debut album, Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume, in early 2006 and hit the road with rock acts such as Flyleaf, Taproot, and 10 Years. The single “Cold (But I’m Still Here)” got enough airplay to launch it to number 4 in the rock charts, but they still have quite a way to go before being a household name in rock.
If judged by the quality of the CD, though, they belong there. From the opening riffs of “A Cross and a Girl Named Blessed,” Evans Blue takes the listener on a complex and riveting journey of an abusive relationship with as many heart-warming moments as heart-breaking stories. The music does well to tell the story: as the moments in the relationship get dark and depressing, singer Kevin Matisyn switches between anger and depression in his tone. Songs such as “Quote” and “Over” well exemplify these feelings: while the speaker’s reaction to the broken relationship in “Quote” is subdued and accepting, in “Over” he shows his anger at fate for never working for him. The emotions range from song to song, yet still capture the one point that holds every song together.
The CD is not all highs, though; there are moments in the CD where it seems as if Evans Blue is struggling to maintain their own rock style, and instead seem to be imitating bands like Tool in verses of “Stop and Say You Love Me.” The harmony of Matisyn’s voice is part of what gives the band its power; however, in songs such as “Stop” and “Over,” his creepy spoken words are too much like Maynard James Keenan and end up just falling short in comparison.
This is but a minor flaw, and presented against the many good things about this CD do little to harm its score. Overall, Evans Blue has put out a great CD that gives fans of hard rock an excuse to cry about their bad relationships.
Scoring:
Replayability: (17/20) There are many songs on Melody, such as “Quote,” “Eclipse,” and the Sarah McLachlan cover “Possession,” that have many nooks and crannies to it that are not revealed upon the first listen. In fact, it took me many times of listening over the CD to realize that “Stop and Say You Love Me” and “Quote” are connected by almost the same lyrics, giving both songs deeper meaning.
Music: (15/20) The music of Evans Blue is mostly lyrically driven: the words and feelings of the song push it forward more than the guitar and drums. However, the former drummer Darryl Brown does an admirable job of keeping the songs tight, and the lead guitar is solid if not unremarkable. The guitar intro to “Dark That Follows,” is haunting, and the lead guitar riff in the single “Cold” is important to the song’s desperate flow.
Lyrics: (18/20) It is with the song lyrics that Evans Blue really shines. Songwriter Matisyn covers both of my requirements for lyrics, writing both artistic and accessible songs. It is evident that the band members are intelligent; their website description of themselves seems to come out of a Chuck Palahnuk story. As far as songs go, lyrics such as “She’s holding out for weapons to kill the ghosts inside/Or at least kill the thoughts she has of killing her mind” are poignant and touching, while the simple “Will it change your life if I change my mind?” states a straightforward but strong message.
Completeness: (15/20) It can be argued that Melody is a concept album, written from start to finish with one central idea, that of a bad relationship. Therefore, the long story should flow easily from chapter to chapter, song to song, without any major breaks or changes in quality. Unfortunately, that’s not the way CDs work most of the time. While there are many powerful tracks that blend into each other such as the transition of “Beg,” “Over,” and “Possession,” a few of the later tracks aren’t strong enough to keep the transition going.
Emotional Pull: (19/20) I’m sure it will be a staple that CDs with higher scores in lyrics and music will result in a higher emotional pull, as they are connected. It is true in Evans Blue’s case, at least. The strong feelings are impossible to avoid in their heavier songs such as “A Cross and a Girl Named Blessed,” and “Possession,” and “Quote” is continually mentioned in this review because it is one of the strongest songs in emotional content that I’ve heard in recent years.
Total Score: 84/100
Grade: B
Verdict: Evans Blue’s Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume gets a solid B for its efforts, and it is in my first review where I see a tiny flaw in my grading system. A B, while being an admirable grade, can bring up feelings of merely adequacy; that a B CD (heh) is not worth listening to. However, a B in the Rock Report Card is a very strong grade; Evans Blue’s harmonies and feeling-inducing lyrics are well worth the listen, even well worth the buy. This group from
Next CD Review:
Band: Chevelle
CD: Vena Sera
-Nate
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