Off to the Moon - Right Away

Off to the Moon

Right Away
self-released; 2013

3.5 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

Off to the Moon brings us Right Away, which is their first release as a collective band. Coming together as new friends, the band has managed to create a unique indie rock vibe that has hard-hitting rock vibes as well as soothing and cerebral tones all at the same time. Off to the Moon is from Bloomington, Illinois and the four members meld together to create a sound that is something like Spoon, and the Black Keys mixed together. There is some undeniable Americana vibes to the songs and it seems to be a running theme throughout the album.

A song with some high-powered grooves is “Alone Together,” which begins with a folk-inspired rock melody and then the super sweet guitar and vocals come in to create a nicely layered cake of mellow indie rock. As the song goes on, the vocals become really transcendental and you catch on to the story little by little. The song gains momentum toward the end and there are nice, peaceful plateaus in between each uprising of rock sound.

“Portland” is a song that reminds me of listening to Interpol; it has that dual persona that is both dark and light, and slow and upbeat. The song is perfect for a nighttime get together or a celebration between friends; “we talk and we drink the night away.” The next track “Cardboard Man” is high-strung right from the beginning and the ting-ting of the high-hat makes this song a dancer and it has that classic blues-rock vibe. Here, the vocals are stressed and super passionate and this song just makes me want to get up and get down.

Even though there are only five songs on the album, you still are left satisfied after listening to Right Away. There is a very appealing energy emitted by the songs that is both exciting and relaxing. Some songs are for dancing, others for chilling, I can see this album being a perfect soundtrack for a neighborhood block party, it’s both homey and rowdy at the same time. 

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