Emo-rock act Evaline began in the summer of 2001 in Turlock, CA. Initially called Holiday, the band released its first EP, To Whomever May Still Be Concerned, in fall 2003. Changing its name to Evaline the next year, the quintet was comprised of Richard-Jonathan Perry (vocals/keys), Christian Lewis (guitar), Steven Forrest (drums), Dominic DiCiano (guitar), and Steven Pederson (bass/synth).

Evaline’s EP entitled “Postpartum Modesty. A Portrait Of Skin” was released July 11th on Maverick Records. The album was produced by The Used’s Quinn Allman.

Evaline brings with them a sound of emo-core. Melodic alternative rock, with indie influences. A sound that is not so common in today’s music, Evaline brings the industry a breath of fresh air. A smorgasbord of influences is felt when listening to their music. Combining various elements from groups like U2, Coldplay, Keane and Muse only begin to scratch the surface, but provide a good summation of which fans would like this type of music. With six cleverly composed tracks, all are packed with excellent musicianship and are bursting at the seams with emotion. Each song has its strong points; therefore one track in particular doesn’t stand out among the rest. Whether they’re hammering out tracks like ‘Write Your Pretentious Squalls (Off Again)’ or melodically hypnotizing us with ‘Postpartum Modesty’ this EP definitely has it all.

Evaline’s sound isn’t unique and unfortunately they aren’t the most inventive band in recent years, but they do bring a fresh and crispness that differentiates them among the rest. Agreeably, Evaline puts a new spin on an old favourite. Ingenious songwriting paired with a vocal peculiarity and creative musicianship, are some of the many reasons why Evaline unquestionably deserves a double take.

Rating: 4/5