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Written by Laura Hamlett Saturday, 20 February 2010 17:48
Each of the five members pulls his weight perfectly, delivering an attention-grabbing performance and generating his share of infectious energy.
There are live bands, and there are studio bands, and then there’s Greenville, Ill.’s Eagle Scout, the rare breed of band that’s energetic and enjoyable in either medium. The band’s brand-new New Hands is an enticing bit of post-punk—if you’ll pardon the comparison, mix old-school Cursive with old-school Cribs and you’re getting the right idea. Ten fresh-sounding songs cavort and careen, pogo and pound.
Dig the group vocals on first track “At Arm’s Length,” and the Minus the Bear stylized guitars, especially on “Current” and “Spies Like Us.” Vocalist/bassist Brandon Hunter has that perfect mix of full-throated vocals and near-anguished yowls (much like those of a certain former Omahan, who once sang songs about such things as bursting and blooming). “Death Rays” finds the band relaying in unison, “That spacesuit won’t save us now.” On “Kites,” a perky, upbeat keyboard line soars above the pointed guitars and harsh-edged percussion.
Following a bit of a breather in “The Decay,” “I Am Your Ghost” returns with a new energy, very much the collision of angular guitars and howled vocals. Drumbeats, sped up and upbeat, ground the meandering keyboard and guitars.
“No Devil Lived On” finds Hunter singing, “They say we’ve got friends in high places/ and I thank god it is not you.” One fast-paced song more—“Our Body Is Walls”—and the transmission is complete; you have heard the world as Eagle Scouts intended.
Live, the band is everything you’d hoped they’d be, and more. Each of the five members pulls his weight perfectly, delivering an attention-grabbing performance and generating his share of infectious energy.
Eagle Scout proves that it doesn’t matter that it’s been done before, or how many times; what matters is the presentation, and the execution. Make music good enough and you’ll transcend little things like genre or predecessors; do it right and you’ll be the new pioneer. A | Laura Hamlett
RIYL: Cursive, Minus the Bear, The Cribs
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