Photo: Rohann Agalawatte
Info: Canadian indie-rock trio Basement Revolver released their debut album, 'Heavy Eyes', last week. It encapsulates the air of weariness pervading the band’s sound. The sleepy title 'Heavy Eyes' sums up a general exhaustion right down to the bone, as well as hinting at a heavier direction as they deftly merge 90's infused indie rock with fuzzy dreamy pop and poignant, yearning lyrics. As songwriter and singer Chrisy Hurn explains; "Heavy eyes is about feeling really tired. And life is hard when you are really tired."
No truer words could be spoken! A good nights sleep is the greatest elixir, but beware too much of same, lest you end up back at square one. Hamilton, Ontario trio Basement Revolver's debut LP, Heavy Eyes, captures the moments of elation before the crash ("Dancing"), the crash itself ("Knocking"), and everything in between. The band first caught our attention in a big way last year with the beautiful single 'Tree Trunks', still sounding so perfect today.
We settle down with 'Baby', a ghostly meandering stream of chill which reaches invigorating heights as a result of Hurn's seemingly limitless vocal. I just cannot avoid using the word sleepy to describe this beginning, but I promise I will not visit it again in this review! It's a broken sigh, with guitar and percussion acting as the invisible being clawing at you to keep you awake. 'Johnny' is waking up in the morning, a slit of light peeping through the blinds, curtains, whatever it is you have in your bedroom. It's cheery, but this is juxtaposed with the vocal which again sounds a bit defeated despite the optimism of the music which surrounds it, a recurring theme on the album which works very well.
Basement Revolver - 'Diamonds' (Live)
A track that really grabbed me in a unique way is 'Friends', it's surprisingly hard to convert relatable experiences into good lyrics, and having that light-bulb moment where the listener goes; "Yup, that's me too". Lines such as; "Hey Mom, and Dad, I'll try to pay it all back, student loans, are knocking at my door" and "Thank you, Madame Maura, for walking me to the pharmacy, I was so scared, starting a new life". An ode to loved ones who have been there at the hour of need, and a reminder to not forget that support.
Determined braggadocio is served up at the early stages of 'Words', this is a close encounter with fuzzed-out Sonic Youth on Goo (think a softer version of 'Kool Thing'). Could the vocals and lyrics be any more apathetic? I love this. After the gritty punk-leanings of 'Wait' comes 'Tree Trunks', the song which made me know I'd like anything that Basement Revolver put on this album. Irish music fans might note a hint of God Is an Astronaut in the guitar riff, it's such a beautifully delivered lament; "Really starting to feel, like I need someone to talk to, every time I break, it falls out from my boat, peel back the bark, I swear I won't bite, really tired of this fight, climb into my lungs, there you'll find smoke rings like tree trunks, and do it again, through the inhales and the exhales, try not to believe, this sacred land..."
Heavy Eyes winds up very strongly, another highlight comes courtesy of the rambunctious title track, I can only imagine how I'd feel seeing this live, I'm picturing them on stage in a Dublin venue as I write (hopefully that will become a real thing in the near future!) This is lo-fi indie at its finest, lapping at the shore of post-punk. Canadian independent music has been so strong over the last number of years, and more consistent and diverse than their southern neighbours in my humble opinion, Basement Revolver prove here that the pudding is still tasting exceptionally exquisite.
Look / Like / Listen & Follow:
Website: https://www.basementrevolver.com/
Bandcamp: https://basementrevolver.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BASEREVOLVmusic
