Record Review: Evangelicals “The Evening Descends”

January 31, 2008 by Svetlana  Send to a Friend

I am starting to hate the (hyphenated) word psyche-rock. It is (over) used these days to describe anything and everything the reviewer/writer cannot think of a better description for:
Flaming Lips - psyche!
1900s - psyche!
Yeasayer - psyche!
My mother banging dinner pans - PSYCHE!
You get the picture.
And while Evangelicals definitely deserve aforementioned tag more than most, I’ve decided to write this whole review without using said word(s). Well, aside from the five times I ALREADY DID TYPE IT.
Feel free to slap me if I fail.

So, here goes:

I came to discover Evangelicals barely a month a go when I heard “Skeleton Man” and promptly lost my poop.

I emailed Cale in somewhat of a frenzy and he calmly informed me that “Evangelicals released a great debut album “So Gone” in 2006 and he (and assorted music media) have been fans ever since”
Well, OK then.
So, I am a year late to this party, but their new album just came out days a go and on the plus side I got to hear it with a clean slate, no sky high (or low, for that matter) expectations or anything.

And Kids, ITS A KILLER!
Quite literally, as well as figuratively.

Imagine Tim Burton going low budget again and instead of Danny Elfman and his big Symphonic Orchestra to score the movie only being able to afford an indie band from Oklahoma (which, mind you, is where the Flaming Lips are from too. Must be something in the water).

And they lock themselves in some teeny studio (not too well soundproofed to boot) in the middle of the woods, and surround themselves with theramins, and old tape recorders, and some twinkle bells and then they finally find electricity around them (in some creaky old outlet in the corner), so they plug in their electric guitars, overdose on Flannery O’Connor and Poe, and make an album, each song a popped out ghost story gem.

That is what “The Evening Descends” sounds like.

It is a nightmare symphony on a shoestring budget, and you love it all the more for it. I can also safely say that I was able to listen to the whole album in one sitting, no skip buttons, no boredom, and liked every single song on it.
Some more, some less, but I had feelings for them all.

“Skeleton Key” still stands out as it is as perfect of a sonic mess as you’ll get in under 4 minutes, “Snowflakes”, their little gothic lullaby makes me wish I owned this album when we were making out “wintery” playlist last week, “Paperback Suicide” drives its oddly upbeat (and you have to be suspicious of oddly upbeat, don’t you?) point “straight into the ground”, “How do you sleep” (which conveniently and unsettlingly follows “Snowflakes” rock-a-bye-baby mood, is a HOWL straight from your (favorite) nightmare and even at their most baroque and theatrical “Bella Wood” (They Ganging up on me! What am I going to DO???) I went along for the ride without any questions asked.
Josh Jones, possessed by the spirit of a headless horseman made me like it.
Ot something.

In any case, TRUST ME, you want this record.
You may just want to sleep with your lights on (and with someone! to protect you!) after listening to it.

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