Noyes

Noyes [EP] (2014)

Adam Eisenberg

"Cops hate us, punks love us" is how Lawndale, CA's Noyes described themselves in the course of passing along their self-titled EP for review. While this reviewer is not generally one to align with the boys in blue, they may be on to something here, as this EP is a five-track disappointment.

From the opening riff, it's clear that Noyes is trying emulate Nirvana, and by emulate I mean sound exactly like, and that's not an approach that's going to do most bands any favors. First of all, by even making the attempt, you're setting yourself up for comparisons to one of the most influential bands of all time and in the process, making it very difficult for your band to be recognized outside of the context of sounding like Nirvana. Where Noyes falters is in not even trying to stamp their own signature on the sound, but rather by being a paint by numbers, loud-quiet-loud knock off.

With that all said, if you can't get enough Nirvana worship, Noyes does do a serviceable job of capturing the dynamic. The guitars have that classic tone and the drums do a fine job of propelling the music forward, as best evidenced on "Formaldehyde," a high-energy number that showcases the best of what Noyes has to offer. In fact, the musicianship is solid throughout, but, while the band does a lot of what Nirvana did, they don't add anything new, nor do they pepper their '90s-style sound with the catchy pop hooks that Nirvana so deftly wove into the fabric of grunge.