Seventeen Evergreen
'Haven't Been Yourself'
(Lucky011)
Released:19.03.07
Seventeen
Evergreen are cognitive computers, singers and multi-instrumentalists Caleb Pate and Nephi Evans, both now residents of a breezy land of lush trees and
Pacific shores otherwise known as San
Francisco, CA.
Living
in a house sandwiched between a Deaf Senior
Citizens’ residence and an Alcoholics
Anonymous building, the guys had to look
no further than their own front door for
material for their forthcoming debut album ‘Life
Embarrasses Me On Planet Earth’. And
indeed, there is no finer example of this
than their upcoming debut (limited release)
single ‘Haven’t Been Yourself’.
The
track is inspired by a schizophrenic neighbour
who lived in constant fear of aliens equipped
with heavy artillery and would seek Seventeen
Evergreen HQ for refuge! In song,
the band convey this thematically with
an honesty about the human condition that
everyone, at moments, can feel otherworldly
or unnatural, almost with a sense of being
encased in another’s skin. It is that
sense of exploration of the psyche, and
the worlds that influence and surround
us, that makes listening to Seventeen Evergreen truly feel like you’re being privy to the inner
workings of life through all its foibles,
successes and, often, sufferance. As lead
singer Caleb puts it, “We’re interested
in expressing an Eno-esque nostalgia for
the future, a message of escapist optimism
amidst technological and financial meltdown,
and a disappointment in humanity near
and far.”
Allow
yourself just a minute with the track
playing, your headphones on and the lights
dimmed and you’ll be greeted with the
sirens of the forest, the stars in the
sky, the vibrations of the ground dancing
together in the ether to form an intricate
yet consummate aural feast for your consumption.
Take
a ride with extra track 'Sufferbus' & you'll feel a rawer edge.
Layers of growling guitars and keyboard
sweeps, slinky drum patterns reminiscent
of early funk innovators and ascorbic
lyrics collude with more sonic youth,
like the band were playing next to you
in your living room….it's another journey
of mind & body!
In
all, where others cough and splutter, Seventeen
Evergreen float slowly and calmly
along life’s path, savouring the beauty
of every rose, tainted or otherwise, along
the way.
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