Eulogies- here anonymous

As I drove up to Los Angeles, Eulogies hometown, I could not help but ponder why the band had chosen a name with such strong implications and then made their album title “Here Anonymous.” I instantly saw myself giving a Eulogy with a paper bag over my head…I’m here giving one of the most important speeches of my life, but not really…then I realized that I needed to start the album over and actually listen. This was when the album and band name actually started to make perfect sense and became an allegory alluding to the bands style. Walking the borderline between indie rock and emo music, the album has a moody upbeat tempo with cathartic, melancholy lyrics. What makes this album work though, is its honest attempt to capture an untainted portrayal of the human condition. I felt like I had time warped back into my junior year of high school when I was too hormonal to put my feelings anywhere but out in the open. This is why I could totally relate when singer Peter Walker says, “Eulogies for me is not about talking about someone who’s dead. It’s saying those things that someone would say only at that moment but wish they had said right now. That’s what I’m preaching to myself-don’t be quiet. I can’t survive down that road.” The first few songs on the album set the stylistic tone, upbeat pop rock with weighted heartfelt gloomy lyrics. Of this more common style of song I found “The Fight (I’ve Come To Like)” the most enjoyable and the most danceable. I could see myself waiving my arm around at the upcoming show on May 22nd at San Diego’s own Casbah. Some surprising tracks that strayed a bit from the stylistic norm included “Two Can Play” which features Nikki Monninger from the recent Coachella playing Silversun Pickups. The song has a soft dreamy sound that brings a sweet downbeat change to the albums more upbeat instrumentals. My personal favorite song, also the most experimental on the album, comes towards the end of the LP with “Stranger Calliope.” This song features a Casiotone keyboard over a live flute player, which creates an ethereal sound that brought me images of riding a candy colored carousel on a cloud. The album definitely grew on me the more I listened and deserves a couple spins through before you make your judgments. I appreciate the honesty of the album, which does a great job of remaining simple and direct. Sometimes an easy to listen to album becomes the perfect cure for being caught in LA traffic. Review by: Tara Rose Gladstone