New Artist: Evening Magazine

Philadelphia musical collective Evening Magazine are one of several new bands I've been exposed to recently that are making music deserving of some serious attention. The group was founded by David Disbrow (guitar, vocals) and recording engineer Kevin Francis (synths) and now includes nine members playing everything from flute to harp. The band released their debut EP, A Ride Across Lake Constance, digitally this past January on Ohso Records, an impressive five-song set of beautifully restrained indie rock.

While you might assume that Evening Magazine's sound follows the complex, noisy pattern established by most bands of their size, the music on 'Lake Constance' feels, for the most part, relatively simple and direct. The instrumental flourishes are often subtle and never distract from Disbrow's engaging melodies, which helps keep things focused and cohesive. Opener "Apple Eye" begins with an explosion of brass but settles quickly into a drum-heavy groove with distant strings and some gentle synths, while "18 Wheels" features some pleasant boy-girl harmonies amidst droning horns, handclaps, and muted keys. Captivating closer "Everyone Can Hear You" floats softly along on acoustic and slide guitar before slowly adding a mixture of keys, harp, and percussion.

Everything works well enough on the EP to make this a great showcase of the band's talent. As an introduction, you can download the song "18 Wheels" below and you can find the full album on iTunes, Amazon, etc. Evening Magazine are certainly a group worth keeping an eye on.

18 Wheels (MP3)