[rayword45]

Day 1058: Everyone's Crushed by Water From Your Eyes (Album Choice: robertsona)

It only hit me a few weeks ago that I saw these guys exactly 362 days ago from today, when they were the second opener for the second time I saw Palm. RIP to that band, gonna miss them as they made two of my all-time favorite albums, one of which is my top 2022 release. That being said, considering how long it took them to write enough content for said 2022 release despite using a chunk of stuff, or at least two songs that they ended up using as singles, that was written and played live around the time of their most popular and most mid album (2018's Rock Island) perhaps it's for the best and we'll get to see some even better solo work from them down the line. Or perhaps they'll all fade into obscurity, who knows?

But this isn't me reviewing Palm! My predominant recollection of the Water For Your Eyes set in 2022 was that it was extremely abrasive and surprisingly heavy for a two-piece with no drummer or bassist. I thought they were cool but I was more into the way their soundscapes filled the room and made my skin vibrate than anything songwriting-wise, as the songs dragged on and on and on. I double-checked and they played 4 songs over a half-hour. That might work if you're a stoner metal outfit or ambient musician or something, but these guys are supposed to be hipster pop.

As a result, this really went against my expectations, as it's 9 songs and just barely over a half-hour total, with only two songs reaching past the 4-minute mark. And also, it definitely IS hipster pop with elements of noise, instead of what sounded like a noise/drone experiment with the slightest consideration to composition. Despite not being nearly as crushing as they were on stage, this actually manages to sound fuller due to the programming and mixing allowing for the minimal drum programming and low-end to come through past anything noisy here.

So I clearly enjoy this band more recorded than live, but what do I think overall? Well, I like it. A pretty good amount at that. The first few tracks are easily my least favorite and initially left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth as it gave me the impression that this project was drenched in irony, but that was a misreading and those songs were earnestly lame. Starting around track 4 this thing picks up a LOT and for such a short release they manage to cover a lot of ground - walls of feedback are all over this thing, but some songs are straight indie pop, some are more rhythmic and dance-y (though I would hate to see the crowd at one of their shows try to dance), and hell the last song sounds like fucking Man Or Astro-man? or something. And as a bonus, the longest track here, which is the penultimate cut so I assume intended to be the emotional climax/closer, is fucking gorgeous.

Now if only those first 3 songs were better.

Best Track: 14
Rating: 8/10