The Evan Williams Project has released the first of two EPs, titled STEREOPSYCHIC I. If you’re into wailing guitars, drums that are great for headbanging, and metal vocals, you will love this record. The energy stays high for the good majority of the record, giving listeners a little energy boost, and some great music to get lost in, including an incredible saxophone solo, played by guest musician Dan Janzen for the finale track.
Rock the Pigeon is excited to break the album down, song by song. The title track kicks off the record with raging guitars and pounding drums, giving the listeners fast-paced, super thrilling energy from the very start of the track. Heavy tom-toms slam behind, a contagious electric guitar riff that wails with just the right amount of distortion. This is a great introductory track to the EP and to the overall sound of The Evan Williams Project. This song is instrumental, highlighting the unstoppable talents of the band. All players have their moment to shine throughout the course of the track.
“Our favourite song to record was probably “NOT THE FIRST TIME”. It’s a riff that we’ve been throwing around at each other for a few years now, and finally getting it into a full song was cathartic. Plus, everybody got to write their own solo, and it’s clear they all brought their “A” game to the recording sessions. It’s an incredibly fun song to play live.” – Evan Williams
This song transitions seamlessly into “NOT THE FIRST TIME.” Vocals enter on this track, first in the form of an aggressive, energy-filled growl. If the listener wasn’t hyped up yet, they should be by now. The guitars fade out for a verse section that is free from growls. The bass carries the first half of the verse before electric lead guitars come back in. The hook section of the song is vocals only, with the band taking a pause so that the hook line could fully cook, “You don’t give a shit.” This song is all about pursing a career in music and not listening to the naysayers. The ending section of the song gives room for a guitar solo, a piano solo from Isaac Robinson, and an incredible bass solo from Elliot “The Grizzlyman” Letts, that totally slaps.
“It’s a concept album based on my personal experience as a frontman. I would find when we play live that I would instinctively take on a persona of this hotheaded, boastful, rage-filled person – and I wanted to explore that as a concept; that there was something inside of me, waiting for the chance to speak, to scream, to voice my frustrations with the world and the people who were telling me my work was worthless. I’ve gotten to an age where instead of accepting a bad situation, I work to break through it and make it something good. Often that involves telling people to fuck off.” – Evan Williams
The energy starts up for “MAKE UP YOUR MIND.” This song is all about seizing the day and not delaying what needs to be done in order to get ahead. This song further showcases the dedication and driven nature of the band. The vocal performance is raw and organic, bringing forth much emotion throughout the track. There is a sense of angsty energy throughout the track. This song brings about a sense of empowerment to the listener. It’s time to seize the day. Musical highlights include a dazzling piano solo, some futuristic guitar effects, and the low hum of an organ.
“Launey (my sister) and I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock albums – thanks to our Dad – so we’re used to the idea of an album being a whole organism, made up of pieces that all complement each other. We got hooked on stuff like “Dark Side of the Moon” & “The Wall” (Pink Floyd), “2112” (Rush), and other things that felt like they needed to be appreciated in full – hit play on track one and let it roll to the end. So we take that approach when writing albums. We want something that feels like a coherent work from start to finish, a roller coaster ride with twists and turns and a story to tell. The current songwriting landscape of releasing a bunch of unrelated singles just isn’t the way we want to do things.” – Evan Williams
“RIGHT THROUGH YOU” stands out for many reasons but especially for the time signature of 13/8. This song is an adventure from start to finish, especially because of the content of the lyrics, which follow a character that is on a quest for a solution. The time signature of this song continues to change, but the band does this very smoothly, proving their performance talents. What you hear on this record is just what you can expect when you hear The Evan Williams Project live, and that is a true feat for any band, and especially for one with a sound this enormous.
“The song that matters the most to me, personally, is “RIGHT THROUGH YOU” – not just because it’s now the most complicated song in our repertoire. It’s a reminder that there is a part of me that really deeply believes in myself, and if I let that part come through it may very well run right through any obstacles in my way. And it’s got a good mantra: “This is the time! This is the place! This is the year! This is the one!”. I feel like if I keep saying that, eventually it’ll come true.” – Evan Williams
“THE FIRST TIME” starts off with a catchy fuzzy guitar riff and then an 80s sounding guitar plays over it. The vocals sit low in the mix on this song, while the guitar maintains its hold on the center stage. However, the vocals still feel organic and seem to sit back in the mix so that the band has more room to showcase their talents. There is a synth solo on this song that should not be looked over. It adds a big spark to the song and gives another musical layer to the record. The song gets more and more chaotic, providing a sense of urgency to the listener. Overall, this song erupts over and over again and stands strong.
“THE LAST TIME” is a continuation of the story that commences in the previous two songs. The high energy that feels a bit chaotic continues on this song for the first minute before a breakdown section unfolds. This breakdown section, feels inspired by 80s hair metal. It gives another sound to the record, giving the listener a momentary energy break. This song takes the listener on a journey. This is the type of track that anyone can get totally lost in, whether they are metal heads or not. This song totally rocks from start to finish, ending with an unforgettable solo and powerhouse vocals.
“ANØTHER” is a conclusion to the story that unfolds throughout the record and also a conclusion to the EP. This song has a sense of peace throughout it, especially because the lead guitar solo, soars smoothly in a major key. The synths continue on this track, bringing the 80s hair metal vibe back to the recording. The solo is very catchy and is a moment that listeners will definitely want to come back again and again for. The song also stands out because of the jazzy saxophone solo played by Dan Janzen. This solo showcases massive amounts of talent. Fans of any music genre can fall in love with this powerful sound.
Stream STEREOPSYCHIC I by The Evan Williams Project on Spotify now:
Written by Ryan Cassata
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