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Evenout:
Drown Inside
Im having a George Washington moment, I guess. I just cannot tell a lie. So, to heck with it, and out with the truth: Against my much, much better judgment, I found myself bopping my head and tapping my toes to this seven-song disc from Washington, D.C.s Evenout. The problem is that this is an incredibly mediocre collection of Top 40 rock tunes. But if it does one thing right, its that it forces catchy melody after catchy melody to get stuck in your head, no matter how hard you might try to fend em off. Ever notice that? The fact that absolutely dreadful songs somehow find a way of lodging themselves in your brain, or even of getting you to involuntarily move along to them? I mean, dont we all know mainstream drivel like Britneys Oops . . . I Did it Again or Kid Rocks American Bad Ass without trying? Or is it just me? Crap, I knew this honesty thing wasnt a good idea. . . . Anyway, Evenout are mixing two rather different sounds on this disc: extraordinarily bland, but melodic mainstream hard rockers with slightly better acoustic-led tunes. The albums saving grace is the lead singers voice, which shines on the lighter tracks. But when hes wailing away, this band sound like every other Top 40 hard rock act youve ever heard: Candlebox, Nickleback, whoever, take your pick. Still, as Ive hinted, their melodies are better than most, and theyve got another real asset in their bass player, who keeps things moving with a quick, walking bass style and employs a full, heavy tone reminiscent of Alice in Chains bassist. Also, the guitarists are a little gentler than you tend to find in this genre, not overdoing the distortion and avoiding the wall-of-guitars trap into which so many bands fall. Although they no doubt have cheesy moments and trivial lyrics, the albums acoustic-led numbers are still a nice surprise. Threw It Away, for instance, features a rousing vocal performance and some intricate lead acoustic playing, and Waiting has an unusual chord progression in the chorus that you cant help but get caught on. I guess what it comes down to is that when youre not listening closely, these lighter tracks can work as pleasant enough background music. But when you really sit down to examine them, all the talk of lies and fading away and moving on will no doubt have you wondering how you ever fell for these songs in the first place. Evenout are a nice, safe band with enough rock for suburban-dwelling white boys and enough sweetness for their middle-aged moms. If that doesnt sound like much of a compliment, sorry. Im just being honest.
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