Sometimes its difficult to find a “target audience” for a given album, but I can just tell its a really good album. There’s some middle ground between the Lilith Fair and the standard pop fans of the mid 90s that will really adore end of ever, a non-capitalized title for a wonderful pop/alternative band that released The Inside Out earlier this year. It’s a pretty phenomenal work of art, all things considered. What the artists have managed to do is create an inspiring pop ethic that I have not heard for a quite a long time.
Some may find this insulting, but honestly this album reminds me a bit of the early 2000s Christian music I used to hear on the WoW music CDs. That said, I still find the tracks on this release quite inspiring and full of their own uniqueness. The layers of synth and vocals work together to make an intricate but no less important full sound.
The opening track “Where You’ve Been” reminds listeners not to forget where they’ve been where they get where they’re going. It’s an intriguing examination of the classic “coming of age” story. It’s about rootedness and success. It’s got a pop flavor throughout, especially with the soaring “Ohhh” vocals repeated throughout.
The vocals on “Carry Me Home” have a lot of power behind them. While not the typical folksy sound we typical feature on this site, what the band does really well on this song in particular is support the main vocal with a powerful overall sound. It is pop, but not like much of what is found on major radio today. It has a depth to it that fills out the overall texture of the song. “When I can’t touch something with my hands I’m so far away from where everyone stands.” It’s an infinitely relatable song about trying to connect with culture in meaningful ways. I would call it an underrated song on an underrated album. So this is me… rating it high. Check it out.
“Slide” reminds me of a hybrid between Evanescence and Sixpence None the Richer. I know, I know that’s a bizarre combination. It has the lyrical chops and power of Evanescence with the characteristic sweetness from Sixpence. While the song’s darker imagery is a welcome break on the album, it did spark a curiosity in me what the lead singer Dahni Piro might sound like without all the production around. Her vocals might really work in a stripped down acoustic set, rather then being full of so much pop filler.
I think “Don’t Go” is my favorite song on the album sheerly for its attitude. The smoke from the jazz club almost emits from the first line of the track. Check out these lyrics, “Lay down right next to me. I’m going to show you how to be my ever-loving man.” Well then. Scandalous. But what makes it so good is that it has a nice bygone feeling to it while still really fitting with the rest of the tracks here.
“Spinning” is a song about falling in love. It engages with the frustrations of uncertainty in the early stages of a romance. It will find a welcome audience among young lovers the world over. The album ends with a difficult song “Shut My Eyes” with some imagery that connects with real pain. What it does is show the immense pain that is potential with heartbreak. It fits with the album nicely.
What’s evident in this album from end of ever is that they’re still discovering their songwriting voice both in terms of themes in lyrics as well as overall sound. What I hear in this band is a remarkable lead vocalist and an incredible potential to grow from here. I’d love to hear two seemingly different things; more vocal harmonies to fill certain tracks and then a few stripped down tracks that really let Dahni’s vocals shine through. That said, I think this album as it stands will find a nice following among the female lead-vox rock fans. Their songs would fit nicely in rotation on a number of easy listening rock stations even today. Although not what I typically feature on a folk music blog, Piro’s vocals along make the album worth a listen.
