Evaporating
Review
THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY
Sept 2009
By Stephen Davenport
Radiating equivocal unrest as a substitute for overt angst, Evoletah’s sophomore album, Evaporating, is an imperfect album that intrigues as it approaches being somewhat exceptional.
This isn’t a raucous rock album. Instead, it’s a blasé, pleasant time that’s a tad wistful, and the result is rather enchanting. Vocalist Matt Cahill offers a lightly produced set of pensive songs that he sings with astute minimalism. On these gentle, folk-inspired rock tunes, he seems to be something like a cross between Al Stewart and Chris Isaak – which sounds frightful, but it’s not.
The outcome is a proficient and agreeable suite that comes across like soft, intimate incantations rather than hook-filled rock music. As the album title suggest, the music fades in on itself without disappearing, which leaves room for Jason Eyers-White on drums and Andrew Boyce on guitars to punctuate with sounds and an almost constantly dispersing shimmer.
There aren’t any misfires on this recording. But maybe Evoletah should have had more ambition. At only seven songs, Evaporating is a slight album and it dissolves and vanishes all too soon. Yet that shouldn’t detract. There’s prodigious flair and clearly a lot of arduous effort that has gone into producing an acceptable album which, although not great, is fascinating.
STEPHEN DAVENPORT
THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY
September 2009
Review
THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY
Sept 2009
By Stephen Davenport
Radiating equivocal unrest as a substitute for overt angst, Evoletah’s sophomore album, Evaporating, is an imperfect album that intrigues as it approaches being somewhat exceptional.
This isn’t a raucous rock album. Instead, it’s a blasé, pleasant time that’s a tad wistful, and the result is rather enchanting. Vocalist Matt Cahill offers a lightly produced set of pensive songs that he sings with astute minimalism. On these gentle, folk-inspired rock tunes, he seems to be something like a cross between Al Stewart and Chris Isaak – which sounds frightful, but it’s not.
The outcome is a proficient and agreeable suite that comes across like soft, intimate incantations rather than hook-filled rock music. As the album title suggest, the music fades in on itself without disappearing, which leaves room for Jason Eyers-White on drums and Andrew Boyce on guitars to punctuate with sounds and an almost constantly dispersing shimmer.
There aren’t any misfires on this recording. But maybe Evoletah should have had more ambition. At only seven songs, Evaporating is a slight album and it dissolves and vanishes all too soon. Yet that shouldn’t detract. There’s prodigious flair and clearly a lot of arduous effort that has gone into producing an acceptable album which, although not great, is fascinating.
STEPHEN DAVENPORT
THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY
September 2009
FOOL'S ERRAND
REVIEW
dB Magazine October 2008
by Steve Jones
Those in the know would remember Matt Cahill from The Violets, the very first band to plug in at Adelaide's inaugural Big Day Out way back in 1993, and one that also had a couple of likable Triple J cuts with Somewhere and Mary Who? Bigger things were promised, but alas, never came & Cahill quietly disappeared from the local music scene. Fast forward to 2008, and this six track release is indeed a welcome surprise, and showcases Cahill's return as he heralds a new band but maybe not an entirely new direction. Evoletah, like The Violets, use broad, lush strokes of swirling sound as a backing canvass, and that's not a bad thing because if there's one thing Cahill has, it's a genuinely felt penchant for outpouring his emotions as he cathartically conveys his lyrics as he lives them.
The Door beautifully portrays a forlorn relationship where reason remains unheard, while Lucky Star wistfully reflects on love newly lost, as does Smiles & Lies, only on the latter all wishful thoughts are countered by the bittersweet realisation of the truth. Brother's Shoulders is an acoustic-based rock number where familial despair is literally viewed as a half empty glass and a feeling that runs deeper through his veins.
Drawing upon an old adage to measure an emotional drought, Month Of Sundays reveals some hint of a silver lining to what otherwise is a one way melancholic telling of a loveless relationship and the brooding A Bloody Circus breaks away from affairs of the heart and focusses on the haunting collateral damage caused by war in the Middle East.
'Fool's Errand' is a good and solid introduction to Evoletah, and features an experienced recruitment of Adelaide musicians that know their place both in song and studio to create an oft-spacious, alluring and highly relatable debut.
Steve Jones
DBMagazine
October 2008
REVIEW
dB Magazine October 2008
by Steve Jones
Those in the know would remember Matt Cahill from The Violets, the very first band to plug in at Adelaide's inaugural Big Day Out way back in 1993, and one that also had a couple of likable Triple J cuts with Somewhere and Mary Who? Bigger things were promised, but alas, never came & Cahill quietly disappeared from the local music scene. Fast forward to 2008, and this six track release is indeed a welcome surprise, and showcases Cahill's return as he heralds a new band but maybe not an entirely new direction. Evoletah, like The Violets, use broad, lush strokes of swirling sound as a backing canvass, and that's not a bad thing because if there's one thing Cahill has, it's a genuinely felt penchant for outpouring his emotions as he cathartically conveys his lyrics as he lives them.
The Door beautifully portrays a forlorn relationship where reason remains unheard, while Lucky Star wistfully reflects on love newly lost, as does Smiles & Lies, only on the latter all wishful thoughts are countered by the bittersweet realisation of the truth. Brother's Shoulders is an acoustic-based rock number where familial despair is literally viewed as a half empty glass and a feeling that runs deeper through his veins.
Drawing upon an old adage to measure an emotional drought, Month Of Sundays reveals some hint of a silver lining to what otherwise is a one way melancholic telling of a loveless relationship and the brooding A Bloody Circus breaks away from affairs of the heart and focusses on the haunting collateral damage caused by war in the Middle East.
'Fool's Errand' is a good and solid introduction to Evoletah, and features an experienced recruitment of Adelaide musicians that know their place both in song and studio to create an oft-spacious, alluring and highly relatable debut.
Steve Jones
DBMagazine
October 2008
