Ahhh, is this ever a nostalgia CD. It reminds me of when the radio actually used to play good music. Anyway, their single "Inside Out" (which is still an awesome song) was a huge hit, inspiring me to buy the CD. This is one of the few albums I owned as a younger kid that's still in my regular rotation. This is pop-rock done right - catchy lyrics and hooks without the members all being pretty boy band-esque guys trying to make a fashion statement. "Showerhead," "Leech," and "Open Road Song" are all fine examples of energetic songs that were our only alternative (and hey, a decent alternative) to the Backstreet Boys and their various clones that ruined the 90's.
The only downside of the CD, and in fact this entire band, is that lead vocalist Max Collins' voice often grows annoying. It just has that annoying "crooning" quality I hate in most music. But in small doses, Eve 6's self-titled debut is a great CD when you just need to wind down from all the mindless angst of other albums, or maybe all the angst of your life. If you live in that kinda way, emo kid. It perfectly captures a moment in time - the desperate, music-grabbing time of the barren 90's. This album is fairly consistent, even if it sometimes grows a bit repetitive near the middle, but it's really not bad considering they were misguided high school kids at this point.
Uh oh. Eve 6 senses that the whole Green Day pop-punk trend is probably on its way out (how wrong they were) and starts to change their sound. However, unlike how most pop-punky bands end up changing their sound for the better, Eve 6 attempts to tap into the mediocre "easy rock" genre with this record. You know, that type of rock they play on mostly rap and pop Top 40 stations. Single "Here's to the Night," with its string section and over-the-top attempt at evoking feelings of nostalgia, sounds like one of those songs that makes junior high graduates cry. This album, while not a total failure, is far too "middle of the road" for my liking.
On the plus side, at least they have lyrically improved. "Sunset Strip Bitch," a song about crossdressing, (of all things...) and opening tracks "Rescue" and "Promise" (probably the hardest songs on the album) are all good pop-rock jams that easily get stuck in your head. "Jet Pac" is probably the closest on the album to the infinitely better self-titled. However, as I said before, there's just something that's too "safe" about this album. It's an extremely conventional rock record, like maybe their major label execs wanted a parent-friendly alternative to other pop-punk upstarts. It seriously leaves something to be desired.
For a while, I sorta completely forgot about our friends Eve 6. I just assumed they broke up or mysteriously disappeared in the wake of new musical trends. That was until someone on Punknews.org commented, "Is that new Eve 6 song about his girlfriend having the clap? 'She spreads her love, she burns me up?'" And I immediately thought, "Hey! Eve 6 is back! And writing about the clap!" Yes, "Think Twice" is an excellent choice for a first single. This album is everything Horrorscope wasn't. Eve 6 is actually moving beyond the shadow of pop-punk, (even though they were never really into pop-punk in the first place) but giving their music more bite instead of permanently accepting status as a one hit wonder easy rock band.
"Not Gonna Be Alone Tonight" and "Still Here Waiting" are catchy while actually laying the guitars on thick. It's upbeat relationshippy stuff that isn't a chore to get through, unlike their last release. However, my personal favourite on this album are the closing tracks "Hokis" and "Arch Drive Goodbye." They're so close to the original Eve 6 sound without sounding like a rehash that it's awesome. This album reminds me a bit of the early 90's alternative scene, but closer to Green Day than the likes of Pearl Jam. It's good to see that at least one band tried to revive those "glory days" without working themselves into a rut. Even if Eve 6 were often dismissed as a generic pop-rock band, I think they had a good run. Now what 90's alternative bands are left?!