East of Eado Burst onto Alt-rock Scene with Debut Album Sonic Remedy
4.6 out of 5 stars
East of Eado is a rock band from Houston, Texas, and they have a very polished sound that has allowed them to be voted as “Best Local Band” by readers of the Houston Chronicle for last year.
They may fool you at first with a sound similar to bands like Foo Fighters and Gin Blossoms, but they seem to explore a bit more diversity in their sound (at least on this first album).
It’s definitely an alternative rock sound, but the band seems to know how to throw some anthemic hooks and stadium-sized guitar riffs onto their songs that pulls them into a bigger sound than some up and coming garage band.
The new album is called Sonic Remedy, and it is one of the best albums I have heard from a band that I have previously never heard of.
That’s not to say that every song is great, in my opinion, but the polish, the technique and overall sound is quite impeccable.
The album blasts off with the song “Start Anew” which is a song about going to space (or at least day dreaming of doing so) to escape life but also to fulfill a dream. It is one of my favorite songs on the album and the lead single as well.
The five piece band really puts a lot of work into crafting tight songs that have some simple but intricate parts to them as well. It gives your ear a lot to dig into while combing through the tracks.
I really like the song “Run (Don’t Look Around)” as well. It’s got a bit of a feel like there is some danger involved, but that it will all be okay in the end. It’s uptempo and rocking for sure too.
“Sleepless Nights” is another banging track off the album that gets you hooked for all 5 minutes of it. It has everything in it, breakdowns, crescendos, catchy lyrics/hooks, and guitar solos. If you look to one song to say, “This is East of Eado,” it is definitely this song.
“Help Me” is an upbeat, pop-punk homage that highlights the collaboration with producer Sean O’Keefe who has worked with bands like Fall Out Boy and Hawthorne Heights to create those really catchy riffs and hooks that fans have come to know.
Another really poppy, radio friendly song on the record is “Ocean Waves” which is a bit too poppy for my tastes, but it is a catchy song and still has great instrumentation throughout. The jangly guitar riff is so cool, but it is also possibly the reason it comes off as too poppy. The synths throughout blend a retro-80’s sound with a laid back vocal performance that drive a whole feel of something out of Madonna’s playbook.
Now, “Float Away” on the other hand, is a heavier, punchier tune that gets a bit in your face with the guitars and vocal harmonies. A solid song especially to bring the album back to a more indie sound.
“Can’t See You Tonight” is a really high energy alt-rock banger that reminds me a lot of early Foo Fighters but with a little cleaner style to it.
It sort of makes sense though, because new bands are going to have the same grit as alternative/grunge music from 25 years ago. It’s going to be the new version of it, and that’s what this song makes me think about. “What would Foo Fighters or Nirvana sound like if they came out today versus the mid 90’s?”
I don’t know that answer to that, and I can’t even imagine that world, but I could see East of Eado being in the same conversation as those bands while they are coming up.
The big difference is that East of Eado does add a bit more musicianship into their songs than some of those early grunge bands who were taking a page out of punk music’s playbook and playing a bit more simplistic sound in a louder, more angsty way. East of Eado doesn’t feel angsty like those bands.
The album ends on “Time X Time” which is definitely a radio friendly song as well. For some reason, I just remember how Imagine Dragons started off with the song “It’s Time” which I really liked, and then they went off the rails with all the garbage that followed.
Not to say that this song is like that. It’s just got the appeal of a song like “It’s Time” that could get a LOT of airplay and get this band played on radio all over. It’s a car ride anthem, in my opinion.
I have a feeling this is not the last time you will hear of this band.