The Eversons are highlights in the fusion of past and present that is art-punk, a genre most recently propelled by names like Art Brut and The Rakes. Both groups debuted in 2005 with a thickly accented, spontaneously wry vocal wit backed by tremolo-heavy riffs and mechanical rhythms in a style akin to bands like Gang of Four, The Fall, and Talking Heads. The art-punk niche combines influences like these with a formula adherent of contemporary indie garage-rock; its hooks arise with a polish reminiscent of The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys, where shimmering instrumentals – predominantly guitar and bass – are restrained and accessible despite being concisely infectious, allowing vocalists the room to inject personality without overtaking the song’s immediate appeal.

In art-punk the frontman is aptly front-and-center, but the choice to ignore him in favor of such hooks still exists. Art Brut excelled at this on their debut Bang Bang Rock & Roll, where Eddie Argos filled excitable compositions with moments of Morrissey-inspired melancholy and vague cultural commentary a la Mark E. Smith. Still, one did not have to fall in love with Argos’ lyrical sentiments and/or vocal delivery to enjoy the album. No matter how clever the lyrics, the style of art-punk is reliant substantially on excitable accompaniments in addition to the frontman’s evident swagger.

Following this ideology is one of several reasons why The Eversons are so successful on their new self-titled EP. The five tracks here are full of the vibrancy found in early punk; initial simplicity evolves to intricate wit over guitar-heavy arrangements that take turns alternating lead with the singer. “I’m a Conservative” rides on Mark Turner’s vocals more than any other track, but the quality of the lyrics makes this disproportion allowable. There are plenty of excellent one-liners, as expected, but the true aspect of quality here is the varying degrees of interpretation. Like the best art-punk songs, it provides a narrative with a clear issue – this time being a glaringly overzealous separation in political parties around the world. Not much point in analyzing it lyric-by-lyric, since digesting these songs without bias is usually best. If you still don’t get the point about its surprisingly in-depth structure and numerous interpretations after listening, check out this fan-made one. Fun stuff.

While The Eversons are never lyrically dull, the strength of both “Hyacinth Girl” and “Boyfriend” rests in the excitable melodic content of both. The former is heavily reminiscent of The Rakes, with reflecting backing harmonies imitating the twangy guitar tremolo on point. “She’s my hyacinth girl in a floral dress,” Turner sings during the chorus, one of the EP’s most thoughtlessly enjoyable moments. It’s a love song, plain and simple, but that doesn’t mean the college-rock stations won’t eat it up. The same applies to “Boyfriend”, which fuses muted guitar chords with a bluesy sort of repeating progression that emerges every other chorus. “Now you’re the boyfriend after all,” Turner sings during the most memorable moment, the bridge which first appears at the mid-point and later serves as the conclusion.

The end of the EP pursues some more ambitious territory, particularly with how “Loser” melds both American and British styles of early ‘90s alt-rock. You have the snarling Brit-pop of acts like Supergrass, but with the sort of harmonious romanticism found on early Weezer records. The chorus, a repeating “you’re a loser”, is particularly representative of this. Of course The Eversons are from New Zealand, but many of their influences are British and American. Regardless, their sound is an excellent interpretation of rock, punk, and their different eras, including this one.

RIYL: Art Brut, The Rakes, The Fall, Talking Heads, Weezer, Devo, The Futureheads, Young Knives, The Cribs, Good Shoes, Little Man Tate, Maximo Park, Reverend and The Makers

The Eversons – Hyacinth Girl

The Eversons – Boyfriend

The Eversons – Loser

The Eversons – I’m a Conservative

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The completely unknown Canopies will not remain elusive for long. That much is easy to predict when listening to “Rebels”, a track that is bound to explode in the music blogosphere.  On their name-your-price EP (download it here), the Milwaukee-based trio have incorporated their love for ’80s synth-pop with recent indie-rock innovations, resulting in an infectious and danceable tour-de-force that should consummately satisfy electronic-minded audiences. The demographic needs something worthwhile to catch their attention, as the surplus of great ’80s throwback dance-pop albums is abundant this year and expectations are high for approval. Recent albums like Ford & Lopatin’s Channel Pressure, Cut Copy’s Zonoscope, and Toro Y Moi’s Underneath the Pine blend nostalgic components differently, but all triumph in crafting a style that borrows retrospective bliss rather than relying on it. These are not glamorized rip-offs of the past. Instead, they apply the past’s best within an modern revised formula; rather than relying entire on an imitation, these artists present a theme consistent with innovation and influence on equal pacing. Canopies are simply the latest, greatest, and most obscure (currently) to accomplish it.

Nolan Treolo, John Marston, and Craig Leren have an astute grasp of how hooks work in electronic pop. Many artists could say the same, but their results are often one-trick ponies with little dramatic flair. Canopies are much different, and it makes them stand up. “Rebels” has a plethora of moments that can send chills up your spine… or down to feet. Bass warbles and a fuzzy synth pad graciously open up it, as the words “raise your fist in the air, isn’t a scare?” are spoken. The slippery bass line alternates between two notes before a quickly intricate swipe concludes each verse, which is resoundingly effective when the icy key tremolo emerges (“Danny load your gun”). The chorus is then pushed forward with natural cohesion, anthemic to the point of fist-raising righteousness but not stuffy in the overly tributary way many electro-pop artists are, primarily in struggling toward their next hook. This format continues enjoyably for another minute, before the track’s triumphant conclusion. A bustling synth arpeggio gives the go-ahead for Marielle Allschwang’s vocals, full of both operatic and sensual range, à la Shara Nelson’s empowering performance on Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Sympathy“.

While “Rebels” is a track destined for popularity, that is not to say the EP’s other tracks are in any way inferior. Actually, they tend to showcase the band’s ambition and range in a broader scope. “Warrior” packs a strong punch as well, being even more of a throwback than “Rebels”. While the synth stabs during the chorus begins to resemble recent psych-pop acts like MGMT, the verses are pure ’80s bliss. The gauzy stretch of synths brings to mind names like Devo and Gary Numan. Yet, as mentioned earlier, the throwbacks are neither excessive nor daunting. The gradually added guitar licks help solidify this point, as does the percussion-led finale. “Strangers Glare” is polished and elegant, filled with stadium-sized hooks that steadily unveil themselves. An immediate comparison is to Talk Talk’s earlier synth-pop work, from the warmly sonorous synth pads to the key-led twinkle at the chorus’ end. The EP’s other two tracks, “Born to Your Device” and “Summer Amnesia”, are just as good; the latter’s energy is reminiscent of post-punk, especially if it was somehow infused into Takashi Tateishi’s Mega Man soundtrack. To close it off, The bouncy Tough Alliance-like pop “Summer Amnesia” is a perfect end to an outstanding debut.

It’s truly a demonstration of character when an unknown band offers their material for free. Especially when it’s a band this good. If you have some cash to spare and enjoy the EP, do these guys a favor and toss a few dollars their way. Regardless of what you do though, download the EP. It left me extremely impressed, and I feel it will do the same to most listeners.

RIYL: Cut Copy, Talk Talk, MGMT, The Tough Alliance, CEO, Washed Out, Gary Numan, Ford & Lopatin (Games), Devo, Massive Attack, Toro Y Moi, Crystal Castles, Neon Indian

Canopies – Rebels

Canopies – Strangers Glare

Canopies – Warrior

Canopies [EP]

Bandcamp

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The subdued form of electronic-pop that NYC-based Silk Flowers pursue is a glittery cross between industrial ambience and chillwave. Behind their simplistic leads of bass-synth and keyboards, the trio presents interesting pieces of percussive-laden samples that range in feel from chaos to Shangri-la. More often than not, the song’s backgrounds mimic the sounds of a metropolis or grimy scene of industry. The stuttering chiptune-like synths of “Chance” slowly progress over a ringing reminiscent of a harbor busy with freighters and forklifts, while the bouncy griminess of “Frozen Moments” is supplemented by an ambulance-like whirring in the distance. Early Ariel Pink comparisons are fairly abundant, though it would be wiser to use his friend John Maus as a point of comparison. His beautiful arrangements are sometimes lost behind a unique mode of production that reflects the soundtrack to a 1980s science documentary. But once you can get over his bizarrely deadpan vocals and style of production (think Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos”!), it is clear that his lack of recognition is slightly absurd. After all, anyone who influences a promising act like Silk Flowers deserves their due.

Their second album, Ltd. Form, is a great find for any fan of Maus, OMD, or Depeche Mode. “Fruit of the Vine” pursues a more conventional rhythmic route, complete with a straight drum loop more reminiscent of club-ready dance than atmospheric synth-pop. Once a floating arpeggio gets things underway, an airy synth pad flutters with a sort of whimsical elegance, sporadically overlapped by a grimy synth more akin to Daft Punk than Air. Once the spacey synth arpeggio returns, we are introduced to the group’s unconventional vocals. Similar to Maus’ deadpan drawl, the voice is neither dominating nor melodically sweeping, but beneficial nonetheless. Dave Gahan can be credited as a huge influence to this styling as well. Silk Flowers sometimes have the tendency to meander along too much, like on the overly placid “Covered Lamp”. It has nothing to do with it being an instrumental effort, as many of the tracks on Ltd. Form are just that. The excellent “Small Fortune” uses slick guitar reverberations reminiscent of Daft Punk and Ratatat over caressing synth pads that, once again, resemble a sci-fi sort of exoticness.

The infrequency of vocals on Ltd. Form proves for effectiveness in the long run. The immediate use of them on “Band of Color” may catch listeners in the midst of the album off guard, but the slick variety of the track provides no obstacles. In fact, many listeners will likely wonder why vocals were not featured more prominently after listening to this. Here, it resembles Devo’s automated swagger behind stabs of synths and murky bass lines. For different effect, the whispering vocals in “Present Dreams” provide a solemnly haunting effect, like the sounds of a dolphin’s sonar across the distance of a dark sea. The arpeggio that subsequently follows is quite beautiful despite its simplicity, hearkening back to ‘80s synth-pop in the vein of Erasure and Yazoo. While Ltd. Form has nothing that will jump Silk Flowers to the echelons of contemporary synth-pop recognition, it will appeal to a niche that has been waiting long for an original release that is tributary without being derivative.

RIYL: John Maus, Depeche Mode, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Ariel Pink, Devo, Gary Numan, Air, Erasure, Ultravox, The Human League, Blancmange, Heaven 17, Visage

Silk Flowers – Small Fortune

Silk Flowers – Band Of Color

Silk Flowers – Frozen Moments

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