Everybody Row

The Sea Inside [7-inch] (2014)

RENALDO69

Comadre lives on. Well, at least a portion of it in Everybody Row. This quartet subverts bits and pieces of its main components while maintaining the jazzy, indie and spastic punk influence that Comadre (especially) fine–tuned to a near post–hardcore perfection. Everybody Row has members of No Babies and Know Secrets to add rock and roll value for good measure to The Sea Inside and I'll definitely raise my hand to say I'm fanboying hard on Comadre (withdrawal symptoms and all), but in essence, all the members help mold the punk/indie aspects of the record very relevantly and more so, to give a nice distinct feel of their own. This record will stand alone for itself, safe to say, and that's primarily down to how well–honed the production is and how they all managed stay true to the characteristics that each band has and wants to bring to the table.

The album's synth–driven and organ–fueled ensemble, all well balanced in their impatient and scurrying sound, bring so many memories back for fans who really were jonesing for a Comadre reunion. My cold–turkey phase was well attended to, given what Life In Vacuum and Frameworks offered in 2014 but still, there was that hole missing. Consider it now plugged. There's the frenetic pace and throwbacks to bands like At The Drive–In, The Vines and The Strokes that really make these four songs worth the wait. The self–titled opener and "Coming Clean" encompass so much of what DIY–indie bands look to achieve. Candid narratives and a don't–care attitude which is built so strongly on catchy, poppy and angst–ridden anthems.

Thick basslines harp over and over these songs, and in fact, on much of The Sea Inside, with slick, intricate guitars to remind the listener that letting up was never really part of the plan. Even the slower and rhythmic "Escape Plan" sticks to Everybody Row's attributes. There's a dance–y, head–bobbing and foot–tapping vibe to it, bringing out a drastically moving melody, that still keeps the musical style band of the band intact. "Keep Running", like most of the record, does still feel like a Comadre B–side but if you've listened to the other bands, you see just what The Sea Inside was meant to be. Heavy on a particular band's influential sound but also a dual–vocal, whiny, bitching piece of anger. And then some.