Cd reviews: I decided I have to much pent up music talk to get out (or too much for my friends to listen to) so I am now going to start reviewing, or discussing different albums on my blog. I know I know...boring or same old same old... but tough. I need to get this out. And whoever stumbles across this can deal with it.

The Evan Anthem Prologue,
(Mono Vs. Stereo) 2003

The very first band on a brand new label, The Evan Anthem is Mono Vs. Stereo's first-born child, and bears the reputation of the entire record label on its shoulders. Luckily they step up to the plate with a darn good debut, Prologue rarely disappoints as Evan remains interesting and indie enough to get me to listen to the disc constantly for the last couple days. If I had to throw them in a genre I would say indie-rock, with slight emotional tendencies on a couple tracks (not a bad thing, you snob jackass) While indie rock is a large and confusing category, The Evan Anthem remain firmly in the rock side and are capable of weaving pop melodies, emo yelps, and straight up rock into something strangely original and catchy as all get out. But instead of going overboard with their emo leanings, or indie experimentalism, they tread the mean of the two, experimenting with electronic drums and spoken word manifestos here and there, but dishing out the frigging jams most of the time. Anyone whose into groups like Thursday, The Beautiful Mistake, will find much to like here.

Most groups who are in anyway involved in emo can get embarrassingly melodramatic at the drop of the hat, causing all your friends to call Dashboard and TBS whiney, over emotional disasters. The Evan Anthem is the balance for them, practically oozing with indie cool, and practical solid lyricism, they never do anything that's cliche or popular, but rather try hard to do their own thing. Which you could argue is just as pretentious as the bands that try and fit into a trend. But in the long run, originality is never a bad thing, weather its pretentious or not, The Evan Anthem would rock the basement show below your local record shop or Laundromat any day of the week. And before you knew it your snob rear end would have a tight T-shirt on with the Evan Anthem and like a picture of a lamp on it.

One thing that surprised me about the disc is that the songs aren't easy to figure out. Sometimes I have no idea what their talking about. They sing their hearts out on "End Script" to someone they apparently have not met, but would like to. Or maybe they have. They really can't decide. On the last track: "A collection on interesting beginnings" the band has two spoken word sections about the republic training people for the good of the nation or something. It sounds like some presidential address set to rock music.

The best tracks are in the first two thirds of the disc, leaving it feeling a lil off balance, but still hot. The album opener, is a one verse intro with just vocals and piano. They eventually break into group vocals and electric drums for a minute, and then give way for one of the strongest tracks, "Goodnight, Good fight": another song that's confusing lyrically, but communicates it's frustration and tension through its music. There's a lot of musical tension and emotional tension going on throughout the disc regardless of whether their singing about how they have or haven't changed in the past year, or about someone who acts like a pro, and pisses them off. (if your a bit confused, so am I) The EA rarely tell you the whole story and in true indie fashion, leave you to put their lyrical sentiments into some sort of cohesive statement or story...Or whatever.

All in all its a very interesting listen, has a few odd supprises tucked in here and there. (African inspired vocal harmonies? Electronic drum fills? What?) Indie geeks best be respecting.