Psuedo Rick Rank Challenge #4: Country.The Gender

For all intents and purposes DunkingDanknuts didn't necessary mean to recommend Evil Friends by Portugal.The Man for a site related challenge. However, in casual conversation, he did make note of the fact that he was constantly shaking his tall white boy tail feathers to the funk dropping from their 2013 release. Having heard about the band for years, this off-hand remark was the tipping point that finally intrigued me enough to pursue it's contents, if not for any other reason than to further investigate a name I surely don't understand.

Sometimes you need to be in the right mood to be ready for a band. Other times it needs to be the correct time in your life, but mostly, you just need to be willing to sit down and actually listen for more than 23 seconds of one song. In a world where we have fingertip level access to more music than our parents could ever dream of, it can be challenging to work your way through something new in it's entirety. In this same world where record sales have plummeted, not taking the time to give an artist a full albums worth of a chance sets a dangerous precedent that helps to explain why new bands seem to have a harder time "hitting it big". Almost all bands that aren't previously established with a massive fan base are tasked with obtaining fans who could just as easily switch to any one of the thousands of other artists in their playlist with just a single click.

Ok, so what should they do? The options to get your attention at this point are few. Bands can just say "ah screw it" and produce something they want to make in hopes it becomes an underground buzz worthy totem of integrity. With any luck, it may turn into a beacon for hipsters. Or, if they want to make any money (those greedy bastards wanting to have a roof over their heads!), they might have to radio-ify, over produce, sparkle and spit shine their way to something that will hopefully appeal to the masses by aping the sound of something familiar or resorting to threadbare clichés. Neither option allows you to to maintain clout AND food on your plate. Every once and awhile though, when a Moonwalker-esque shooting stars careens through the sky, bands hit that magical sweet spot that falls right in the middle of these two extremes. Evil Friends is sitting right there.

Little known fact; the real person in this image is JD Salinger.

Through the first few listens I couldn't shake the fact that there was SO damn much going on. I started running this past spring/summer and this album became a go-to for my jogs. Now, I'll be the first one to tell you that not every album works when you run. It needs to be upbeat, driving and more than likely include at least two screaming guitar solos. But if you can find one that works for you, there aren't many better or more unique ways to digest new tunes. You are fully enveloped in the sound (thanks headphones!), it has almost the entirety of your attention (minus the one or two cars that try to run you off the road) and you're too tired to seek out anything else on your playlist.

With that said, the title track became one of the most enjoyable tracks I flailed my legs to in a long time. With a driving bass line as well as an upbeat and jaunty chorus, I was able to forget for a few seconds that I was truly struggling to breathe. I think that brings me to where this album takes me; a place where you can forget about the other stuff going on in your life for a while. Whether it's the pavement beneath your feet, the shit going down at work or some other burdensome episode from life, this was the type of music that gave you a well deserved respite.

The lyrics give you something to think about ("Modern Jesus", "Waves"), the grooves give you the never-ending urge to awkwardly dance ("Creep in a T-Shirt", "Evil Friends", "Atomic Man"), and soaring chorus gems with sneaky good guitar parts pop up like unexpected mushrooms ("Someday Believers"). The album delivers from top to bottom, from the eerie synth filled dance track of "Plastic Soldier" to the haunting piano/falsetto of "Smile" there isn't a single weak track. And as with any good new music these days, it manages to smash together a group of sounds and genres to craft something fresh. Horns collide with hip-hop drum beats as easily as soaring layered vocals mesh with tripped out guitars and pianos. One moment I can't get a bass line out of my head, the next I'm hitting the highest of high notes as I screech along with a soaring melody. Even now, when I go back and listen, between the constantly morphing vocal duties/sounds and the amalgam of music that emits from my speakers I have to see if I accidentally set my iTunes to shuffle.

Only one not wearing Carhartt gets to light the child molotov.

This is what music can become. With kids who have access to everything, who is going to put a limit on their influences? The same kid who may have only been fixated on rock & roll or jazz in the 60's now has 20,000 songs in his pocket with a multitude of genres affecting him on a daily basis. People have been claiming for a long time now that nothing new can be created musically, the ol' cranky "it's all been done before". But I disagree. I'm not saying this album is revolutionary or mind altering in terms of it's creation of a new style of music. But it gives a solid glimpse into what can be done when a group decides to use a blender and a filter to build something new. If this is the future; I'm selling my Delorean.


Final Score: .84 You're Living All Over Me's