Eye Alaska - Genesis Underground
Record Label: Fearless Records
Release Date: July 7, 2009
On Fearless Records, a company filled with bands like Breathe Carolina, The Maine, and blessthefall, one band stands out from the bunch. That band is Eye Alaska, to say the least a multi-genre rock band. Eye Alaska released an EP titled Yellow & Elephant, establishing their place as a band that isn’t afraid to take risks and trying something new. That something new is what makes Eye Alaska an infectious poppy rock band. With their first LP debut Genesis Underground they show exactly how pop should be done.
Being crowned “one of the most anticipated albums of 2009” by many users, Genesis Underground will not disappoint. Produced by Matt Wallace(Maroon 5, Sugarcult), the album sounds more like one well-written story cut into thirteen parts than thirteen individual tracks on one album. Your babies may someday be conceived with this album playing in the background.
Eye Alaska has developed a signature sound that embodies every track. The digital single and first track, “Walk Like a Gentlemen,” sets off a general idea or summary for the whole album. Brandon Wronski’s strong vocals shine throughout the track. Two tracks, "Show Me DaLuv" and "Star Pilot" both feature rapper VerBS, who has done many collaborations with other artists such as DJ Maj and GRITS.
The following track, “Mutiny off the Aleutian Coast by Rorrim Entni,” perfectly fuses Wronski’s vocal talent and Cameron Trowbridge’s gritty and melodic guitar into one. “American Landslide” begins with an orchestra and thunder that quickly transitions into hip-hop-influenced verses and a catchy chorus, which will continue, to become the track’s outro.
Heavily R&B-influenced track “Good to Go” will make you want to start moving. Backed up by an orchestra, Brandon’s vocals and Harry Ko’s drumming shines throughout the track. “Miles Don’t Mean Anything” is a great example of an acoustic track that seems to surprise you when listening to this album for the first time because it is placed after an infectiously poppy track. This is personally one of my favorite tracks of the album.
“Rocky Road” shows that they’re still a rock band even though they want to experiment with different genres, showing how hard they worked to get to where they are now. One of my favorite tracks from the EP, “Roll Right Over”, and another great R&B influenced song that surely will not disappoint long-time fans of the EP. “My Soul, My Surrender” gives a lasting impression of the album by building up to a climax, while showcasing every band member’s abilities. Ending the album with “Intro to POP. Fiction” was like hearing the score of music at the ending of a great movie, you want to stay to the end of the credits to hear the rest of the song.
Genesis Underground is a whole new experience, from rock to R&B to hip-hop; this album will be one you will love. Improving in every way from their EP, Eye Alaska will be a band that will keep you wanting more and more as time goes on. Long time fans as well as new listeners will love Genesis Underground. Eye Alaska is a spark of new talent and a force to be reckoned with.
Everytime somebody says something great about this record, I go back to the stream and try to pick up on whatever it was they loved.
Can't get over the fact that they just sound like a slightly underproduced boy band.
Feel free to correct me on this, I could always listen to the stream again.