Rating: ****1/2
Some of my favorite bands ever hail from the San Francisco Bay Area. Jellyfish, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Metallica just to name a few. So when the band Evan & The Live Oaks came across my inbox and I saw they were from Oakland originally I immediately got excited.
Will this be one of my new favorite bands? Are they the next Journey? The next Faith No More? What if they suck? Will my faith in the bay be lost? There's only one way to find out....
TO THE TAPE MACHINE!!!
Listen to the "Hyde Street" EP on Bandcamp below:
We get things started with the spacey and melodic "On the Other Side" and I'm already picking up what they're laying down. They have a really genuine classic rock sound. These guys aren't faking it, they are living it. It reminds me a little bit of the Doobie Brothers. Really liking this. "Home" is up next. It's got more of a Counting Crows thing going on. That isn't to say it's bad. It's just a little more radio friendly. Very good melody. These guys can really play. The WAY TOO SHORT EP ends with "Maybe Later" and it's another great tune. It's a little Jim Croce and a little CCR and a lot of fun. Damn. It's already over.
A good sign that I'm enjoying a piece of music is when I'm bummed that it's over. That was the case here. I can't wait until a full-length release comes down the pike for these guys. This one is very highly recommended.