Do You Feel At Home? #14
Surprise (not a surprise)! After a little over a month, I've reemerged from the marshy depths of the "emo" mangrove with more reptile heads, as well as a modest handful of assorted discs as trophies, or, more aptly, spoils of war.... A war on my patience, of which is steadily growing thinner and thinner with each passing day... Now, my days as a war veteran and bizarre introductions aside, let's mosey on over to the fun part of this post, hey? Oh, and be warned, my hyperbole knows no bounds. (I was in quite the good mood whilst writing this!)
Maybe I ought to assemble a small choir for this here band, just as I should've for their label-mates This Bright Apocalypse many a moon ago. Unfortunately, I don't possess that amount of manpower, however what I do indeed have on my side is the immense gall to believe I could possibly rival such an assembly of voices... which I totally can (not, I am but a singular woman)!
Eyes Of Autumn was a three-piece emo/math-rock/post-rock band that hailed from the chronically dreary state of Washington, and more specifically, came from the town of Purdy (located right next to Gig Harbor), and operated as such until their dissolving sometime in the early 2000s. Punk, in it's various forms, is predominately reined by young adults, and Eyes Of Autumn (whom I will henceforth refer to as "EOA" for brevity) comfortably sit in that seat. However, in stark contrast to the plethora of other high-school bands, EOA carried in their school bags an immense amount of talent, and stored in their dusty lockers a wealth of songwriting wit, almost as if the souls of some seasoned musical veterans were strangely reincarnated as a gaggle of nerdy kids long after their time had passed.
It's always a rare treat to stumble upon a band delicately nestled under the larger (and generally unapologetic) "emo" umbrella with a genuinely phenomenal vocalist, and rarer so one that both plays and is backed by musicians of equally unmistakable skill (of course, not to overshadow them). When in every facet of their oeuvre a band is able to positively dominate ones eardrums, both in tasteful aggression and calculated subtlety, it immediately becomes evident to me that, whatever band it may be, they're a group that is far, far greater than the sum of their parts. Such is the case with EOA, a trio of whom boast undeniable gifts of musicianship in this weird little genre with the most unfortunate of names. Now, allow me to bookend my theatrics; I could endlessly waffle on and on about EOA (as well as 54º40' Or Fight!'s roster) for practically ever, and I sincerely hope you believe me, because it's friggin' true. Being obsessed with things so niche only amplifies my incessant urge to gush over them, and by golly, this band is anything but an exception to that rule.
These three possessed such impeccable talent at such young ages, and goodness me, what a spectacle it was and is! Inventiveness, creativity, and burgeoning genius are a few descriptors that come to mind, though they're rather pointless. Truth be told, I believe I've run out of superlatives, as there really isn't much word vomit I've left brewing in me to keep rambling, and I've only just started... and that's a good thing! I only occasionally am left utterly gobsmacked, and every time it happens, it comes as quite the pleasant surprise. It's easy to understand why this group was so revered in and around the Tacoma/Seattle area during their day, as talent such as theirs, young as it was, is certainly a sound to behold!
You would think being in such an impressive band would take up most of ones time from school, however, these boys kept themselves rather busy outside of playing music. The drummer hosted a radio show at their high-school with a friend of his named Tyler (though, I've heard he (the drummer) was nigh impossible to keep track of), and the vocalist was, in fact, the high-school's president! I couldn't even begin to fathom how one could possibly balance so many things into any sort of schedule, but, granted, public school was never really my cup o' tea (though, I certainly wish it was at times!). All this to say, whatever qualifies as being "cool kids" in the aughts, it'd likely be these three. Actually, come to think of it, I've not even listed any of their names, not once! Apologies. Eyes Of Autumn consisted of Michael Duggan on guitar and vocals, Micah Tucker on bass n' backing vocals, and last, but certainly not least, we've Peter Mansen on drums n' piano.
Operating at the bands artistic helm was Micah, responsible for a vast majority of the bands artwork, lyrics, stage design, and whatever else his imagination could get its hands on. While originally the band went under the name Third Man Circus (and was notably Christian), soon after discovering the 90s most life-affirming works did their scope start to extend far beyond what their adolescent eyes could meagerly make out. Micah himself was the soul whom came up with the moniker Eyes Of Autumn, of which was conjured after the band collectively delved head-first into (and, admittedly, had their minds blown by) what music truly had to offer. Bands such as Don Caballero, Sunny Day Real Estate, Radiohead, and future label-mates Dilute were the groups that helped lay the groundwork for what EOA would quickly shape up to be. The band soon found themselves venturing outside the bounds of traditional songwriting, attacking it with a keen sense for the abstract, pivoting from how they would previously assemble music amidst their days as a Youth Group. With hindsight at ones disposal, the bands development is crystal clear to see, and good golly if that development was nothing but meteoric! Really seems as though all these three needed was one tiny little push, and once they got it, their fire started creating like a machine.
Now... what's all this musical genius I've been blabbering about? Well, there's not very much, unfortunately... but, at least there's some! These three's tenure was rather diminutive, only operating as a band for a handful of years (mostly during their high-school careers) until their eventual dissolving after around 5 or 6 years in existence (from roughly 1997 to 2004). The band would understandably call it quits once their musical interests began to lean in opposing directions, of which is a perfectly natural and relatively common way for a band to politely hang up their hats. Despite their respectful half-decade run, the band would initially start out playing a plethora of local and high-school shows, before finally deciding to commit some of their work to tape... or, disc, rather. With a few years of performing under their nerdy little belts (or suspenders, whichever floats your boat), the band soon released but two discs, of which make up the entirety of their discography.
So, here ya' have it, EOA's elusive demo CDr, self-released in 2001, and goodness me, is it positively lovely! While this disc does indeed differ somewhat, albeit, marginally, from the material that would follow it shortly hereafter, it's still quite indicative of the bands future development. Their utilization of atmosphere presented on these three tracks is darn superb (if not simply due to how they were recorded), and lends credence to their unmistakable post-rock influences, which occasionally makes its way to the forefront. I've gots to say, this ol' thing is remarkably ambitious for simply being a first offering, and possesses some charming & enigmatic character that is an absolute delight to sink my fragile little teeth into. Granted, the former is pretty darn typical for these nerdy boys, as they seemingly always climbed the stairs two steps at a time... it's a miracle they never tripped over themselves, hey? Anyhoodles, I have quite the soft spot for this little disc, and I hope you find a similar spot in your heart for it as well!
EOA's prodigious musical adroitness has reached the very summit of its developmental assent, and quite hastily, as you may have observed thus far. Naught but a year after the release of their initial demo EP, these three have assembled what one could only appraise as their tour de force, or, at least, my overly dramatic self certainly likes deem it as such! It's less so this trio's virtuosity that comprises this records stellar idiosyncrasies, but rather, the humble brilliance in their articulate repose. Touting instrumental chops so sharp that one risks scarring themselves, and singing/songwriting so exemplary you begin to wonder if you're even listening to a punk-adjacent record anymore... However, on occasion, it dishes out a routine slap to the face, and reminds you what you sat down in your lousy little chair for... that being you giving your ever so precious time to a cheap piece of plastic that demands your utmost attention. "Hello" is a consummate opus of the early 2000s emo scene, standing humbly and inconspicuously amongst an autumnal forest, allowing itself to be found, but never venturing into the plains for all to catch a glimpse, as is commonplace for many records released during the aughts. I sincerely hope ya fall for this thing as hard as I did, because it's quite the work of art for just a nerdy gaggle of high-schoolers! Below I've included scans of the CD package, however I've excluded a download, as it's readily accessible via streaming. Enjoy!
1. Fire Creates Like Machine
2. As A Child
3. Distance + Time
4. The Air Is Concrete And Hard To Breathe
5. If I Could See Myself Now
6. Cordially Yours
7. Warm Cheeks, Cold Hands
8. ...___...
Well... that was... a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. Maybe I was being overly dramatic, I'm not sure, I couldn't tell ya. (I'm lying.) That was an absolute ball to write, and I hope it wasn't too tiring! I jovially ramble on a hair too much, but, in honest, I think I prefer it that way, as it really lets me spill my silly (and often confused) heart out! Besides, you can always just scroll down if you're not too keen to read through all this jargon, and don't worry, I wouldn't blame ya, not one bit! Oh, and for those of you whose interest I may have peaked with this band, you should check out these live shows from this Eyes Of Autumn related band, Oranday (they were active at the same time)!
Anyhoodles. Before I end this off, I'd like to extend my loving gratitude to Tyler Brown and Peter Mansen. Y'all are the bee's knees, and I sincerely appreciate all the help you've lent me in putting this little post together! It really does mean the world!
Toodles!