For weeks I’ve tried to wrap my head around Eyes No, the new EP from Modern Man. Listening to this album is a lot like being lost in a house of hallways with a blind fold on. The consistency of sound becomes unnerving the deeper you get into your listen. Distant voices, building, screaming, eventually yelling, the beat eerily consistent with a rapid heartbeat. Everything is masked except the drums, which remain your hold steady throughout the length of the album. It is these drums that open Eyes No and give you a point of reference.
For the first four songs Modern Man keeps the listener trapped in a deep haze, surrounded by swirling minor guitar leads, until the sky opens up with the 1 minute and 32 second interlude “Wasteland.” After “Wasteland” the album seems to settle down. The anxiousness settled, and while the fog is still around you, you feel more like floating than tense with sweaty palms. The album sets up perfect for the beautiful “These Walls”, the first time on the album where the lyrics are discernible for a full four minutes. Guitars that are clear, but have a slow burning quality, pick out the melody creating a new surrounding, or opening your eyes to where you actually are.
Eyes No excels at being atmospheric and dictating mood on the listener. As much as they push a haunting terror, they always reach out and bring you back in at the right moment.
Upcoming Shows
Friday April 13 – Gottrocks – Greenville, SC
Saturday April 14 – Conundrum – Columbia, SC
Tuesday April 24 – 5 Points Pub Indie Grits Festival- Columbia, SC
