There’s something so interminably pleasant about Evening’s Over, the latest EP from pop rockers Field Trip. An undeniable ennui and melancholy run throughout. Yet they’re wrapped up in an infectious brand of pop goodness that’s hard not to get lost in. Yet these aren’t throwaway nuggets. The band understands how to introduce scope and scale into what could otherwise be inconsequential mush.
Take the opener ‘Wait’, for example. It starts off as a twitchy, yet straightforward indie pop track with a great big meaty fuzzed out chorus. But by the midpoint of the song, we transitioned to shredding solos and a perfect crescendo. It’s a trick they pull off time and time again. It’s the kind of eclecticism and excitement that Biffy Clyro used to conjure, albeit with a much more pop-oriented focus.
Yet it is not without flaws. As mentioned, the lead vocals are problematic. Neither Sean Walsh or Wayne Foy are terribly confident vocally and often they’re smothered by the surrounding music. This is true throughout, except for the record’s standout ‘Graveyard of Ambition’. This sprawling, blitzed out epic should be their calling card as it does everything right. A sense of woe and hopeless surrounds every note and leaves nothing untouched by its gloom. Clean and unfussy bass mixes with trebly guitars and minimal drums to underscore this profound sense sorrow. But it’s the vocals and accompanying harmonies that seal the deal. At times they are a real failing, yet their weakness and uncertainty are exactly what this piece needs. Whether this was intentional is unknown, but it adds a great deal to this already stellar piece.
The sequencing doesn’t help the album either. ‘Suffer in Silence’ is good fun, but it is a very disappointing comedown from ‘Graveyard’. The titular song is the wrong choice for the closer. It’s not grand enough or emotionally powerful to carry the burden of closing. With all this said, Evening’s Over is a fun release from a band who can fill the niche Oppenheimer left behind. They’re sugary and bitter with the right amount noise and delicacy to bring a smile to your face. Will Murphy
