REVIEW: Even, Come Again (Rubber Records)
- Chris Hill
Australian pop has an effervescent joy, a lack of jaded cynicism, that seems ingrained in every band I've run across. No matter if the songs are written about political, social, or personal issues, there's an sunny musical optimism that promises an eventual positive resolution to any problem. Uncompromising pleasure in the moment permeates the music of You Am I, Glide, the Whitlams, and the Underground Lovers, just to namedrop a few feel-good bands that merit a "If you like ..., you'll like this group" recommendation.
Singer/songwriter Ashley Naylor, "an eternally nostalgic person in a music sense", fronts Even, another band on this list of sunshine. Stones, Beatles, Kinks - all influences and inspirations that pop up on Come Again like a "Bop the Gopher" game - quick flashes of recognition, then ZIP!, they're gone. Naylor and bandmates Wally Kempton (bass) and Matt Cotter (drums) have taken a bygone era and masterfully distilled its essence into eleven songs of blissful tangerine-sweet harmonies and toasty-crisp jangling guitar.
It's apparent that Naylor, like Noel Gallagher, has a knack for writing irresistible pop songs. "Watching My Door", the current single, attacks the ears with "Tomorrow Never Knows" drums and Revolver-slick harmony vocals - a reminder at 2:44, that, mirroring the title of Even's first album, "Less is More".
This notion is reinforced in spades on "Tell Me How". The lyrical concept is simple (admiration for another's positive nature) and wound about a melody so sharp you could shave with it. "The time is always right in your world/No one's uptight in your world/Won't you tell me how?/Won't you take me now?/The sun is always out in your sky/You've got no reason to lie/Won't you tell me how?/Won't you take me now?/Maybe I'm lost to the world I am in/Won't you tell me where do I begin?" Not entirely by chance, it reminds me of the first time I heard Meet the Beatles. Both albums bulge with star-bright, multi-faceted, diamond-perfect gems - cheerful, upbeat, and addictive.
"Black Umbrella", the best water protection song since the Hollies' "Bus Stop", derives its strength from an ambling guitar and a stumblebum drum beat. "I got my black umbrella/to shelter me from falling rain/I forgot to tell her/She can join me and do the same/One thing that will always remain/When you think everything is going down the drain/I'll keep you warm and dry/Warm and dry". Part of the song's charm is the willingness to share comfort and protection with the less fortunate. That selflessness appears again on "Better Road": "If it's just a ride that we are on/I'll hold on tight 'til the ride is gone/ And go on to a better road for me/And it's a better road for you."
Did I mention optimism? Keyboards give a carnival atmosphere to "Underwater Dream", a fade out and returning fade up add a gleeful, nostalgic touch to "4:18", and fuzzy guitar and cheery handclaps make "No Surprises" a romp and roll wonder. Even what could have been a downbeat closing image on "Out My Window" ("I'm waiting for the sun/but some days it don't come") is counteracted by the cheerful, repititious acoustic guitar melody. Melancholia hasn't a chance with this record.
Tony Lash, co-producer of Eric Matthews' brilliant The Lateness of the Hour, deserves praise for his co-production here. Unlike Even's first album, which essentially captured their live set at the time, Come Again was developed in the studio, with a mindset that the band wouldn't bind itself to music that could be easily reproduced live. As such, there are numerous frills which will make a live translation that much more intriguing.
Check out http://www.rubberrecords.com.au for even more info.
