As they introduce a first full-length album to come with a clear second take on the fuzzy, poorly recorded 'Dance Only (Only Dance)' of their debut EP, NYC-via-New-Jersey septet The Everymen prove that they've come a long way in two years. Subtly supported in this soulful effort, amid heavy basslines and low sax tones, by the only female voice of the band, frontman and founder Mike V follows the melody with the clumsiness of both punks and macho rockers indulging in kitchy love songs that makes them sound all the more genuine.
Rough 'round the edges with no more need for noise, the track sees New Jersey Hardcore as a potential turning point in the band's recording career. We will however have to wait until October to confirm, so meanwhile, I suggest you get a taste of the new sounds at Brooklyn's House of Vans next Thursday (07.26), where they will be opening for psychedelic garage big band King Khan & His Shrines. That should be loads of fun. - Tracy Mamoun
"Uptempo" and "Pop" are by themselves two concepts that - in the business of being an indie band - can take you quite far; but if on top of that you add to the equation also comparisons to The Smiths, then the hype can get out of control. Brooklyn's Drowners have more than one similarity with Morrisey's act, and although they will surely feel belittled by such comparison, they should not, because no artists really managed to be The Smiths' worthy musical heir yet (like, for example, XTC were for The Beatles, Robin Hitchcock for Syd Barrett, and The Strokes for Lou Reed - uhm, maybe...).
The band's 3 songs debut EP features the remarkable single "Between Us Girls" (streaming below) which immediately throws us back to the days of "Meat is Murder," with the electric guitar alternating between jangly parts and arpeggios, and Welsh frontman Matt Hitt singing semi-melancholically about some girls' hair length - rather than about how big they are... The edge is slightly punkier, while the songwriting reveals an almost clinical concision (the song clocks in just under 2 minutes, with the first chorus coming in after 26" - A&R allergic to intros will dig that).
The second song, "You've Got it All Wrong," beats a similar musical path, tackling the infinite well of inspiration that (for Brits) is life at the pub, with the difference of a slower bridge, which acts as a breather for the final chorus. Final track "A Shell Across the Tongue" is the punkier of the bunch, but also the one with the least memorable melody.
This is obviously a band with enormous songwriting potential. If they'll manage to write songs as good as these and integrate their influences in a more mature and personal sound, the world can be theirs. - PDG
