Four Eyes - Towards the End of Cosmic Loneliness
Four Eyes is one of my top two favorite Boston bands; their high-energy, low-fidelity poppunk is utterly without pretense or contrived laissez-faire attitude. With one self-released 5-song 7” EP already under their belt, the group delivers another in the same vein via Brooklyn’s Puzzle Pieces Records (this time with pretty awesome full insert and center label art!) Lead-off track “Back To Life” quickly brings to the fore the group’s most-loved qualities: tom-heavy parts mid-intro, to-the-point lyrics with vocals occasionally building into a quick shout, a song-song, layered guitar lead fencing with feedback swells here or there, and driving bass pulling the whole song along. “Pilgrim” establishes Four Eyes’ versatility for the remainder of side A, opening with quarter notes on a ride cymbal and rapid-fire downstroke bass notes and guitar chords that build into a song that would make classic pop bands like the dB’s and Shivvers blush. It just won’t stop! Four Eyes prove their skill in showcasing their ability to play with dynamics, despite their stripped-down instrumentation. Drummer Dan’s cymbal drop-outs punctuate the prechoruses and transitions, while bassist Nick manages to keep up a constant attack and vary his parts so as not to exhaust the listener. Will’s guitar playing really shines here, too, adding fuzzy Mascis-style licks all over the place (note: since this recording, the band has added a second guitarist, filling the songs out considerably in their translation from record to a live setting). These techniques carry over to “Carol Stream” on side B, though this song sets itself apart with an excellently-timed and extended outro that highlights the hook without beating a dead horse. The closer, “SOS,” might be my favorite tune on this EP. With a (tapped??) lead that immediately catches the listener’s attention, the song gets off to strong, if somewhat understated, start. The verses provide a similar fist-pumping volume to Four Eyes’ other tunes , but again, these dudes excel at dynamics. Transition parts are full of varied rhythms and slinky single-note picking, as well as the recurring lead. The best part? Not only can you dance around your apartment to a vinyl copy, you can download it from the Puzzle Pieces website and drive your car really fucking fast to it all summer. (Puzzle Pieces, 2011)
