Evaline – “Postpartum Modesty. A Portrait of Skin” [EP] [Album Review]

Postpartum Modesty, A Portrait of Skin, Is the new EP By The Turlock, California band Evaline. The EP here clocks in at 22:34, six songs, I think it could best be described as Working Trippy Rock, with an ample dose of synthesizer-pop sensibilities, but without waning on the guitar rock side of things. It may sound a little random; but it’s an excellent combo, indeed. This is very fun to listen to any day of the week and even if I’m in a pissed off mood it calms me down. This is a very new/fresh unsigned band but they have something going on with Mavrick Records now.

Every song on this release is extremely catchy, but never catchy at the expense of intelligent lyrics. This is fantastically literate, polished trippy rock. Never waning on the rock, and never waning on the literate. With song titles like “Write Your Pretentious Squalls (Off Again),” and “A Protest In Lines Too Thin To Read,” an inkling of pretension could be seen through the smoke; but the boys of Evaline never go quite all the way off the deep end.

Instead, they create an extremely thoughtful project here with Postpartum Modesty… that’ll keep you coming back again and again; and without making you roll your eyes at stretched rhymes and wordiness for the sheer sake of wordiness. The CD is well done and the bass is amazing. The over all thick tone this has is mint in my eyes haha. I think it’s safe to say this EP will get Evaline somewhere fast. I must say in some parts I hear a bit of bands like Tinfed, Shotie, and the Deftones, but I guess it’s just that California vibe.

All of the songs on this release are quality, but if I had to recommend something specific, I’d say that you positively have to check out the EP closer “A Protest in Lines Too Thin to Read.” The lyrics are fantastic, and the melody and instrumentation are top-notch; combining a driving, but never forceful, beat with great effects, to great effect. If you like your indie rock with a bit of ambiance, as well as more than enough rock; you cannot go wrong with Evaline’s Postpartum Modesty, A Portrait of Skin. I give this EP a 9.1 out of 10.

Track Listing:

01. La De Da
02. Calm Touching
03. Where The Fearless Hide
04. Postpartum Modesty.
05. Write Your Pretentious Squalls (Off Again)
06. A Protest in Lines Too Thin to Read

Run Time: 22:34
Release Date: 2006