Ever Stays Red

Ever since 2002 Ever Stays Red has been working hard at making a name for themselves in the music world. With up to 250 days a year on the road touring and two previous album releases, they have shown a deep commitment to putting everything they have into the creative process. Having just signed a new contract with Vertical Shift Records, this quartet from Mesa Arizona, finds itself on the “brink” of taking flight in their musical journey. Out of this new relationship has come On the Brink of It All, along with the promise of widespread distribution and promotional coverage. Hopefully the company will follow through with all their promises, as these guys certainly deserve to be discovered by a large audience.

For the most part, this album consists of high energy, guitar-oriented rock with punchy rhythms and catchy melody lines, with the occasional moderately paced, more pop oriented tune. There is a lot of passion that comes out of these eleven songs, both from the standpoint of the music itself and the faith that appears to be the motivating factor that drives the music. The band consists of Dustin Carlson (lead vocals, guitar), Zach Andresen (guitars, vocals), Erik Bruner (bass guitar), and Josh Carlson (drums).

Carlson has an interesting voice that is unique to the genre, somewhat reminiscent both in technique and tonal quality of the punk/new wave era. This vocal style fits well with most of the songs, though it has a tendency to get lost in the mix when the band rocks out. He’s at his best when the music around him backs off a little, shinning exceptionally well on cuts like “Can’t Explain,” where the guitars give him plenty of room to breathe. The guitar work on this project is especially good with plenty of energetic power chords and tasteful lead lines. Bass and drums are mostly solid, though the bass seems a bit too far back in the mix at times. The only other point of production criticism this reviewer has to offer is concerning the way the symbols come through on some of the cuts. At certain points the constant crashing of the ride seems to rise above the rest of the instruments, creating a din that is distracting from the overall quality of the recordings. Granted, this approach does help create some tension, but there’s a fine line between effective tension and annoyance.

The title track starts us out with some great hooks and savory guitar work that leaves you wanting more. And each following track does not disappoint. “Can’t Explain” stands out as the obvious choice as a promotional single with its exceptionally strong melody lines and lyrical themes. Another stand out track is “Glorious,” a great, high-energy praise tune that should get some attention in the praise and worship world.

Overall, the songwriting, performance, and production of these recordings are very good. Not to mention the fact that every song has loads of appeal and are filled with memorable melody lines. With the release of On the Brink of it All, it looks like this young group is coming into its own as a musical force that may be with us for a long time. It will be a pleasure to see how they develop and where they take their music in the future. Keep an eye out for Ever Stays Red.

↓ One comment

#1 Austin Navares on May 28th, 2008 at 5:45 pm

Ever Stays Red’s new is a great piece of work. The uplifting lyrics and excellent musicianship is amazing.

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