Evans Blue - The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume

When an album is titled The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that it’s chock full of lyrical bombast. Taking the dose of pretentiousness wouldn’t be so bitter if the music was more interesting. Hip deep in the modern rock slush pile, Evans Blue has a tendency to drone on and on with their carbon-copied melodramatic flair. The usual suspects are present: pensive insecurity, righteous rage, and plenty of vocal quavering to wrap it up in a nice, predictable package. Packaging is key; everything here is slick and stock. The more serious the music becomes the harder it is to take it seriously. The summation of this phenomenon has to be the song “Quote.” Lead singer ‘Matisyn’ opens singing “Quote, you are my soul, unquote.” This smirk-worthy quote/unquote business is carried on throughout the song. If you’re not smirking over lyrics about wind blowing over great divides, guided in solitude with night for a companion and the whole lot, you’re probably just busy stifling the inevitable yawn. Don’t worry, the album isn’t much longer and you can nod off to sleep soon. [www.evansblue.com]