Review by Kris Peters
Out Now
Northern NSW rock outfit Eyesite first came to my attention via recommendation from someone whose opinion in the Australian music industry I highly value, so it was no wonder that when I checked them out I could tell why he forwarded their music to me.
Fresh out of high school, Eyesite have just released their debut 4 track EP In My Head, so let’s do just that and get it in my head!
Opening with an ambient acoustic interlude, Cold Shoulder eases its way into the EP with a grunge-type number that highlights the band’s influences.
Vocalist Harry Brooker has that angst-riddled, almost dreary but impactful tone to his voice as made famous by people like Kurt Cobain, but there are more than enough elements of his own personality shining through to make it his own.
The track picks up pace as it progresses before a significant but necessary tempo chance three parts through invites lead guitarist Louis Thompson to the head of the queue, and he takes Cold Shoulder to its eventual demise.
Don’t You Love Me instantly adds starch to the EP, an almost punk-driven song with guitars a-plenty and enough measured aggression to get your neck snapping and feet tapping.
A cool little breakdown that finds Brooker repeating “Don’t you love me” seems to be answered by the frenzied guitar that follows, and although I wouldn’t answer a direct yes to that question I can honestly say I am loving the music.
Bitter Side is up next and pulls things back a notch with a gentle drum pattern that casually guides Brooker into the action over the top of a controlled track that shows another side to the musical maturity of Eyeless.
What is obviously a love song of sorts, Bitter Side refuses to wallow in self-pity as it ebbs and flows through despair with enough hope to predict a satisfactory conclusion.
The force of grunge definitely flows through the bands’ collective veins, and it is refreshing to hear a genre made popular more than 20 years ago being revisited with such enthusiasm. A wicked drum fill towards the end hints at what the future for Eyeless could hold which is an exciting thing to come out of In My Head.
Weight Of Your Hand is another slow burner that accentuates the grunge-fuelled descent into humanity that is a feature of Eyesite’s music.
Another drum fill gives way to slick guitar work from Thompson and Brooker returns with a touch more urgency as Weight Of Your Hand picks up intensity and purpose briefly before retreating from whence it came before more guitar wizardry snaps life back into the song before an all-out jam of sorts brings the EP to a close.
If I said this was a great effort for a bunch of teenage high school kids that would be selling Eyeless much too short. What In My Head is, is a great debut effort PERIOD and the perfect launchpad into the real world of music that awaits Eyeless now their studying days are over.
Metal horns up to the Australian music school system!
