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You’ve probably never heard of the band Eve 6, but chances are you have heard their music before — that is, if you listen to the radio or watch
MTV. Their video for the band’s single “Inside Out” has seen heavy rotation on MTV and VH1 since early summer. With the release of their debut album, Eve 6 doesn’t enter unchartered musical waters, but their music does show a raw potential that sets their sound apart from other bands.
Unfortunately in the era of huge commercial television and Top 40 radio stations, this trend has become all too common. It seems bands no longer strive to put out a strong album and establish their name, but rather throw an album together to showcase a single radio song. However, it appears that Eve 6 has tried to rise above it’s “one hit wonder” status with the release of this album, Eve 6.
Signed by RCA Records two years ago, Eve 6 shelved the idea of recording until high school graduation, to polish their sound. Their debut effort is fairly typical in the alterna-rock scene, but, it also is catchy and flat-out powerful. The band’s sound is a subtle mix between punk-rock and mainstream music that has the potential to attract a diverse fan base.
“Inside Out,” is a good representation of the band’s sound: a racing drum beat, distortion-riddled guitars, and vocals that capture teen frustrations with startling honesty. According to frontman Max Collins, the lyrics capture a common theme of “the distance between outside appearances and internal reality.”
Collins and guitar player Jon Siebels were brought together in 1993 through a shared love for rock and punk music. The duo began making music while still in high school, and a year later teamed up with drummer Tony Fagenson. Collins, a bass player, writes the lyrics for all 11 songs on the album, but Siebels and Fagenson also sing on the album.
“Small Town Trap” is a mellow track that builds, backed with a bassline that you can tap your foot to. The song reflects the boredom and anxiousness of living in a small town with yearnful lyrics such as, “Something’s gonna happen soon, because it must.”
Eve 6’s debut release may not stack up to the great debut releases of the 1990s, such as Stone Temple Pilots’ “Core” or Pearl Jam’s “Ten,” but it does display a raw potential that could bring success to this trio. However, this album leaves a lot unproven. Only time will tell if Eve 6 will last on the alterna-rock scene and produce future releases with maturing musical skills. |
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