Ilya likes to make fun of me about the imaginary musical genre known as “Evan Rock,” which encompasses every band whose sound is steeped in unusual rock traditions. For the most part, groups composing painkiller-slow, heavy, math-y, minor-key dirges define the genre, but pretty much any band that formed in the Midwest during the early ’90s could also fit. Some bands classified as “Evan Rock” include Codeine, Part Chimp, Rodan, Bedhead, and Abilene, or the PJ Harvey song “Missed”.
Now, imagine there was a band that came along and combined all the most enticing sonic elements of those bands, and churned out a wholly unique, twisted sound that both grooved and pummeled simultaneously. They’d be, like, the torchbearers of the “Evan Rock” genre! Well, I think that band might be The Narrows.
The Narrows is a three-piece from Bellingham, Washington (the same place that gave us Death Cab For Cutie (ugh!), but also Reeks and The Wrecks (yay!)), comprised of two brothers (Justin and Matt McIntyre) and their cousin (Sean McKee). They came to my attention via the Aquarius Records e-mail list, which hailed Alligator (a re-issue of the band’s first two LPs) as being “So fucking great.” With all the band names dropped in their description, I felt it my duty to listen, and I was blown away. Now the band has released their latest effort, Benjamin, and it continues to ascend my “favorite albums of ’07” list with each successive listen.
After a thirty-second spoken word introduction, “The Sasquatch” roars to a start with metallic bombast, and advances at a grueling pace with churning guitars and Justin McIntyre’s pained sing/yell, slowly burning away over the course of ten minutes. This is the epitome of their sound: dynamic volume shifts, hopeless lyrical content and glacially-slow rhythms. “Last of the Norsemen” could be the finest slowcore tune recorded this decade. Over the course of thirteen minutes, it shifts between quiet and loud; a minimal stop/start riff and whimpered vocals transition into a beautiful overdriven assault that maintains the song’s pleasant melody in spite of the upped aggression. Perhaps the most gut-wrenching song on the album, is “Over and Out.” A distant bass line lopes beneath understated guitar leads and pronounced drums. Just as the seesaw ride might reach its saturation point, the band breaks into a searing jam. But as quickly as it arrives, it departs, fading into the album’s final track, a reprise of the same haunting melody. And, just in case you’re wondering if The Narrows might be the most depressing band ever, they manage to play a hilarious joke that takes an extra eight minutes of silence to reach.
I guess that if you read this page with any regularity, your musical tastes are somewhat analogous to mine. That’s why I implore you to listen to the tracks below, and support The Narrows by buying their music. The new album Benjamin is available on CD and LP from Wantage Records.
PS – I got to see Do Make Say Think last night at the Echoplex and they did not disappoint. Highlights included “Goodbye Enemy Airship,” “Reitschule,” and “Fredericia.” Check them out in concert if you can!
