You have to be either (a) brave or (b) incredibly lazy to send a dance record to Punktastic for review. Whereas some bands send review material to PT without ever considering whether it’s relevant (frustratingly lazy buggers) you get the impression that Samuel James, the ‘badass bedroom’ maestro behind Eyes, has sent this release because the music he listens to (Brand New, New Found Glory, Glassjaw) fits the PT bracket. Let’s call it brave then.
Make no mistake; ‘Watching From Heights’, the second full length release from Eyes, isn’t a punk record. It’s a dance/electronic record, and it’s good. Pretty decent in fact. For someone that rarely listens to anything like this, the ears are pricked and there’s a lot of interest here. It’s atmospheric, switching from ambient stroll in one stroke to dark heavy in the next. There’s lots of tinkering going on (as you’d expect from a home-recorded laptop backbone) that add a personality to the music. At times this is like the soundtrack to a sci-fi movie (see ‘Following Lights‘ in particular). Vocally there are moments that sound like hellogoodbye, as well as moments that sound more ‘urban’ (for lack of a much better word).
Essentially, Mr. James’ bravery has been well founded. This is a good record regardless of genre. A lot of hard work and attention to detail has gone into the release (you only have to listen closely to the intricate arrangements to see that), and its moody countenance proves evocative. This isn’t the sort of dance record that will get the white isle jumping, but it will get the listener thinking. If you like to experiment with your listening habits, this makes a nice pit-stop. And when you’re done spinning the album check out a cheeky cover of Flo Rida’s ‘Low’ on Eyes‘ previous cover EP. Fun stuff.
‘Watching From Heights’, as well as Eyes‘ previous releases, is available for free download from the Myspace page.
Alex