Acres Even is a new band to be excited about. Their debut EP, Rose Gold, presents the tight-knit four piece as a group with a strong sound whose members are inherently enthusiastic to be playing in each other’s company. Over four short tracks, the Los Angeles natives offer both the energy and tunefulness of hardcore and the nimble sonics of modern day indie rock, creating a mixture of fast-moving instrumental beds and tender vignettes that together amount to a delightful and carefully-measured chaos.
The air-tight intro track “Separate,” which has perhaps the stickiest melody of the songs here, flexes the bands tonal fervor with a medley of streaking guitars. “Ocean Full of Break Lights” and “Decorated Shelf” amplify the instrumental attack of the opening cut while also adding to the album’s dominant themes of longing and alienation. Between its driving guitar lines and a blistering solo, the latter especially creates an explosive sequence of building and releasing tension.
The songs on the EP are as sharp lyrically as they are in sound. On different occasions they allude to uncomfortable levels of angst without projecting outright desperation, casually slipping in lines like “I can slice the air ’cause the tension’s so thick in here” or “Am I just a knot in this thread that’s coming undone?” at the start of a verse in a suggestive albeit passive manner. On the flipside, this form of precise writing manifests in an endearing way on “Come Home,” a hushed and painfully intimate ballad complete with subtle picking patterns on an acoustic guitar, gorgeous string passages and aching distortion.
Stream Acres Even’s new EP Rose Gold out everywhere.
Riffs & Rhymes 