it’s all set in stone. this album is the underdog of the year. i was anticipating this album, but the cynical side of me expected a flop. that yellow and elephant EP was too good to be true. i’m glad to say that this isn’t the case.

eye alaska delivered an incredible follow-up, simply put. i won’t waste too much time, though.

hit the jump for the review.

-eye grizzly

Artist: Eye Alaska
Album: Genesis Underground
Record Label: Fearless Records
Release Date: July 7, 2009

A lot of young bands these days tend to jump the gun as far as debuts go, but Eye Alaska got the process right. Their 2008 EP, Yellow and Elephant, was a good introduction to the band, showcasing the band’s self-deemed “cinematic-rock.” The label couldn’t be closer to the truth, either. Their powerful and effortless blend of pop, rock, jazz, r&b and hip-hop flows seamlessly. With their first studio LP Genesis Underground, the band was able to capitalize on a sound that didn’t stray too far from what fans were used to.

It’s almost impossible to find something that you don’t find appealing about Genesis Underground. It has straight-forward rock songs such as “Mutiny Off the Aleutian Coast” and endearing pop anthems such as “Walk Like a Gentleman,” and maintains a similar accessibility throughout the entire album.

Pardon the lack of a better and less overused word, but Genesis Underground boasts a certain swagger that hasn’t been heard in pop music in a long time. Singer Brandon Wronski stepped up his talents in nearly every aspect that a singer should. He exudes a new-found confidence, as heard in the ‘ha, yup’ ad-libs of “American Landslide,” an obvious shoe-in for an album highlight. The same confidence works against him, though. As great of a frontman that Wronski is, he still has a lot of maturing to go, especially lyrically.

There are some obvious tweaks in Eye Alaska’s sound. With spoken intros on songs like “Show Me Daluv,” and an enthusiastic, albeit fake applause on “Good to Go,” one of the things you’ll notice first is that it feels like the band is performing this album live, which could go both ways as far as reception goes. Also, the group ventured out further into hip-hop, enlisting rapper VerBS to do guest vocals on two of the songs.

It’s always refreshing to see a band not only stick to a proven formula, but tighten up the same formula and create a product even more cohesive and accessible than a previous release. Yellow and Elephant was a huge change of pace and a true gem that was more than likely overlooked by many. Genesis Underground is even more versatile. There is no specific season, time or place for this album. You could play this album during a drive on a winter night just as well as you could on a hot summer’s day. If promoted properly, has a huge potential for crossover and is a easy candidate for one of the best albums of 2009.

Grade: A-

eye alaska on myspace.

stream genesis underground at absolutepunk.net

download:

eye alaska – walk like a gentleman

-eye grizzly