Ever since the release of ‘52 Weeks’, Evan Weiss – a.k.a. Into It. Over It. – has been a recognized artist at the forefront of the emo revival. Cooped up in the snowy heights of Vermont, Weiss and his touring drummer Joshua Sparks managed to write an album that oozes authenticity and finds the perfect balance between his two previous one-worders ’Proper’ and ’Intersections’.
Opener ‘Open Casket’ fades both in and out featuring Weiss’ trademark refined riffs and neat vocals. The lyrics communicate a sense of self-complacency in response to the uneventful, dismal lives of old friends from back home: “I’d feel better as a corpse than a boring bitter living thing.”
Standards by Into It. Over It.
At the hand of cabin-in-the-woods companion Sparks, ‘No EQ’ is an absolute jam with its agile, intricate drumming that gives a refreshing vibe to the intro. The same goes for standout track ‘Adult Contempt’ whose short verses and intervening reverb choruses will find their way into a lonely part of your brain and set up camp.
‘Who You Are ≠ Where You Are’ has a plethora of hip, layered guitar content – Evan style – and an accusatory narrative element (“You aren’t where your head rests”) addressed to a friend who – contrary to their belief – has not changed, despite changing location.
‘Anaestheic’ holds an abundance of lyrical substance, lamenting a great sense of loneliness. The title suggests a numbness as a result of depression; the lyric “Your place or mine? My reflection in the window won’t reply” evokes imagery of a wistful Weiss, whilst “Is the bed half empty or half full?” articulates a sense of self-conflict.
With a fuller, heartier texture, ’Standards’ personifies a slight new era for Into It. Over It. and we are diggin’ it.
4.5/5
’Standards’ by Into It. Over It. is released on 29th April on Triple Crown Records.
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Words by Lucy Jones (@loo_say9)
