Everyone Everywhere
A Lot of Weird People Standing Around [7 inch] (2009)
Brian Shultz
Everyone Everywhere put their own unique spin on mid/late-`90s revival with their A Lot of Weird People Standing Around 7", a pitch-perfect, Promise Ring-inspired quartet of tracks.
"Everyhow Everythere" spouts addicting, poppy vocal melodies in a short first verse, followed by If You Make It-esque guitar noodles. It's such a fantastic contrast between Brendan McHugh's smooth singing and crunchy, somewhat distorted guitars that you can't help but follow both attentively. "Cool Pool Keg Toss Pete" lays on the fuzz a little thicker, channeling their influences in a way that begs a house show lineup including compadres Tigers Jaw.
While their lyrics can get pretty goofy, particularly on "Everyhow Everythere" ("Everyone / is everywhere / while you're stuck / at your house / in your underwear") and the spectacularly care-free house party recount of "Cool Pool Keg Toss Pete" ("Do a dance / you'll regret / in the morning. / Do flips / off the diving board / with your clothes on"), it's hard to mind with how confident and enthusiastic the band sound delivering 'em.
A Lot of Weird People Standing Around is ridiculously promising and occasionally brilliant. The level of quirk seems to be tamed just enough and the talent is clear, so that full-length they're writing will imaginably be even better.