Indie Music Album Reviews

village echoes - evolve

2/17/2014

Village Echoes

Evolve
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Village Echoes are a three-piece from Sydney Australia who formed in the Fall of 2013 and somehow wrote and recorded an EP called Evolve within a couple of months. You might expect something with such a fast turnover would sound like a mess but the opposite is true. The songs are well put together, catchy, burst with emotion as well as from a production standpoint sound great. There are five songs on this album and each one of them feels accessible. Structurally, they aren't very experimental but they do bring creative parts to the songs which you can appreciate all the more because of the limited members of the band.

The album starts out with one of the strongest songs on the EP entitled “Another Thought.” You can't help but appreciate the creative vocals components of the songs. They are great at utilizing vocal harmonies. It adds a lot to the song and gives it additional depth that is hard to find with a simple lead vocal. The chorus is powerful and fills with energy but not quite as fun as the breakdown they have at 2:30.

“The Bike” is a catchy song full of tons of twists and turns, which never leave you bored. It was during this song I realized that these guys sounded like a band that has been together for years and not a band that just formed. “In Memory” is their attempt to be a bit more melancholy and nostalgic. It wasn't the standout among the five songs but it was by no means a bad song either.

“Horizons” returns to a pop/punk style. They leave the distortion on the whole time for this one and it feels like a continuous burst of energy until it ends. They close with a memorable number called “What Would Have Been.” The vocal line is melodic yet holds an additional emotional weight which adds depth to the song. I also have to mention that the drumming was exceptional on the song; not only the technical ability of the drummer but his restraint as well as artistic creativity.

Evolve isn’t perfect but at this stage of the game I can only imagine what their full length will sound like.