About a year ago, I made a mix cd for a guy I had a crush on, trying to impress him with my super hip musical tastes. The second track on the cd was The Evening Attraction’s “The Kids Don’t Care (for Rock n Roll)”, a song so good it’s one of the top 25 most played tracks in my itunes library- which means at this point it may have reached its mix cd usage limit. Luckily for me, The Evening Attraction has just released a brand new LP, The End, Again (out now on ClassicWaxx Records), with 9 all new tracks for me to start playing the hell out of.
Let’s begin with the art- The End, Again’s cover art is an immediate eye-catcher. It shows the band’s 4 members seated on a sofa, in a field of sunflowers, watching the aftermath of an A-bomb, its mushroom cloud extending upwards towards the album’s title. Stylish, creative and a perfect match for the album’s title, it’s my favorite cover art I’ve seen so far in 2018. Now, on to the music:
The End, Again opens with its (near) titular track, “The End of the World, Again”. Much like the album’s cover art, there’s a great dichotomy happening- lyrically the track details the insanity and instability of our current political and cultural climate, but layers this message over sunshine-y 60s pop. The track sounds like a happier American cousin of The La’s- twanging guitars, loads of vocal harmonies, and an organ that seems to be commanding us to come on and get happy. However, about 2 minutes in the track takes a turn, bringing the tempo down to a waltz while the organ becomes something a bit more carnivalesque. From here things get real groovy: you know how the best part of The Brady Bunch’s “It’s A Sunshine Day” is when for just a moment, things go from saccharine sweet to slow and psychedelic? No? Well, it’s like that, but hipper, and with better hair. Trust me.
The End, Again continues with “Atop Loves Mountain”, a psyched up powerpop tune with the feel of The Beatles’ “Rain”. In all fairness, The Evening Attraction does have a genetic advantage when it comes to powerpop- bassist Paul Ansani is the son of Ted Ansani (of Material Issue, THE GREATEST BAND OF ALL TIME), but it’s not just good genes at work here. “Atop Loves Mountain” is a phenomenal track, warm and enveloping and over just a little too fast. It’s followed by “Love So Fine”, which features a driving beat, ultra cool guitar riffs suitable for 60s spy themes, and the catchiest of choruses.
The 4th track is “Say You Will”, the album’s lead single, and it’s a KILLER. I’m pretty sure this one is gonna be replacing “The Kids Don’t Care (For Rock n Roll) on my future mix cds- I just can’t stop listening to it. It’s got all the crunch of The Kinks with all the catchiness of the early Beatles, plus an incredibly fun music video to boot. Dig it:
The album takes a turn about halfway through, leaving behind most of the powerpop and 60s sensibilities for slower, jazzier, moodier sounds. On “Liar”, what begins as a somber sounding two-step surprises with soulful, light-as-air choruses and then again in the bridge when the bass and organ suddenly swell like a wave of Deep Purple. “Three In The Morning” flows back and forth between jazz and indie rock before tearing off into a full rock n roll jam session, just to wind back down to where it all began. “I Just Want You To Know” is probably the album’s most mainstream radio-friendly: jazzy and catchy, though bordering on tame compared to other tracks.
“Ladaia”, the album’s penultimate cut, is the most surprising track on the album. What starts as a simple ballad stripped down to just an acoustic guitar, singer Miles Malin’s butter-y smooth main vocals and some heavenly Beach Boys-esque harmonies slowly builds into a jazzy, exotic groove when the rest of the instruments join in. Influenced by Brazilian Tropicana, “Ladaia” is sexy and danceable and just damn cool- a modern, rock n roll version of Martin Denny or Les Baxter. I desperately want to put on a tight, fringed dress and have someone pull me out to the dancefloor every time I hear it, or to be sitting around drinking cocktails in some exotic location.
The End, Again ironically ends with “The Beginning, Again”, a sort of companion to the album’s first track. But where “The End of The World, Again” had a less than optimistic outlook about the current state of things paired with a sunshine-y beat, “The Beginning, Again” is a bit more raw, more rockin’, and has a more hopeful outlook for the future: “Yeah, it’s the beginning again, of something better that is gonna come and take us away, oh baby what do you say?….”. It brings the album full circle and gives it a strong, solid finish.
Despite some clear ties to past eras, The Evening Attraction manages to create a sound on The End, Again that’s decidedly NOW. It feels young and modern and hip, and it’s flawlessly executed. Go listen to it.
Buy The End, Again here (available on black, or limited edition clear vinyl!):
https://theeveningattraction.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-again
Follow The Evening Attraction here:
https://www.theeveningattraction.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheEveningAttraction/
Written By Sheena Salazar for POW Magazine
sheenacheyennesalazar@gmail.com
