Into It. Over It. – Intersections

Evan Weiss is a modern day hero for me. I am not sure how many bands and labels he introduced me to over the last two odd years. He gave me comfort when I felt bad, he was there to share some great days with me and he has the ability to almost make me cry. We share a similar soft spot for checkered shirts and shell-rimmed glasses. Every time I hear his music, I feel like I’m listening to a good friend of mine. Mind you, I’ve never met him, I live a few thousand miles and an ocean away from him. He takes me to places, no matter good or bad and stands side by side with me. He puts his arm around me and makes me feel like everything is going to be ok. He’s saying: „we’ve all been there mate“. But you know, the best part about it is, that he doesn’t even have to be there. It’s just his music, that makes all of this happen.

Talking of something new, I’m goddamn desperate, I’m fucking begging you

So from the start he’s off to a headway start with his new album for me. And it fulfills all the expectations. Weiss‘ dreamy, yet assured voice comforts the listener. The guitars twinkle away immediately in the opener „New North Side“ building and deconstructing euphoria. Hitting the breaks as if the song does not want to give away too much of what there is to come. One of the main strengths of Weiss‘ songwriting is the ability to create anthemic melodies that profit from a the profound interplay with the rhythm section (see „Spinning Thread“, „Spatial Exploration“ or „Upstate Blues“). On Intersections, he also manages to mix his early acoustic aesthetic with his high energy reincarnation. And that makes for a perfect record.

For me it’s always fascinating to see how creative one can get with vocal melodies. I always tend to struggle to go past certain point of standard variation. The way Weiss is finding unusual and surprising lines is brilliant. A key change at the right moment („Contractual Obligations“), the high-pitched to mellow-tone interchange („Spatial Explorations“) or overlaying vocals („A Curse Worth Believing“) produce memorable, yet unique moments. While other bands or vocalists tend to go for the rougher, less melodic screams, the melodic overtone adds structure and keeps songs tight despite their musical playfulness.

In the end, I’ve been listening to this record on and off for almost two months now. It does not get boring at all. It’s a brilliant listen day and night, alone or with your friends. I tend to find other details with every listen which is the sign of a great album. In the end, it’s Evan Weiss ladies and gentleman. That guy is a fucking genius!
You can buy the album here.