About Kayode Kendall
Location: Oxon Hill, Maryland
Occupation: Writer
Bio: Kayode "KenKRK" Kendall has written for various websites over the last six years, and now serves as PopSyndicate's music editor.
Posts: 42
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Surprisingly effective and all around fun.
Starting off as a duo that comprised of brothers Ryan (guitar and vocals) and Hays Holladay (keyboard), The Epochs broke onto the indie-pop/rock scene back in 2003 with Ten Billion Light Years of Solitude. Even without having heard that first album, I’m thankful for two things; for starters, they decided against having a pretentious title for their follow-up LP, although the self-titled thing can sometimes be just as pretentious, so maybe it’s not so much of a trade-off. Furthermore, the band found itself a bassist and a drummer, Kevin Smith and Kotchy, respectively. For the most part, their sophomore effort succeeds in creating a fairly energetic and varied listening experience.
“Thunder and Lightning” is a fitting title for the album’s opener, with its aggressive, take-no-prisoners guitar riffs and fast-paced, heart-pounding drums. Teetering on the edge of chaos, Ryan Holladay’s vocals bring everything into focus. It’s monumental in sound and energy, whereas the decidedly more electro-pop influence of “Opposite Sides” mellows things out. Leaving out the guitars, Hays Holladay’s work on the keys crafts a romantic melody, as brother Ryan’s vocals play towards the Bee Gees. The moody, old-school rhythm and blues vibe of “Mister Fog”, meanwhile, is incredibly hypnotic, right down to the slow and sultry chorus (You can’t stop lovin’/You can’t stop lovin’ me now).
The band’s eclectic blending of genres continues to serve them well on songs like “Picture of the Sun” and “Mouths to Feed”, punctuated by synthesized vocals, bombastic drums, and electronic blips and beats. The pop-punk guitar riffs on “Mouths to Feed” are especially satisfying. At this point, the album becomes remarkably more ambitious in the arrangements and melodies. “Stand Up & Be Counted” puts everything on the line with its 70s alt-rock flair. But, if any opus to be found on the album, it would have to be “Right On”. The band uses just about everything in their arsenal, blending old-school hard rock, country, and soul. They switch up the melody and shift from soft and warm tones to more ominous moments, much of this due to the minimalist keys from brother Hays on the chorus. The sound builds to a thunderous end, the drums getting heavier as it progresses.
Understandably, some may not care for The Epochs’ genre-jumping. On some level, the band comes off like a kid with ADD, unable to stay in one place at once, but I was surprised that this ultimately worked in their favor. There’s definitely a theme to the album, as the music carries through with a strong and steady, easy going vibe, kicking things up a notch only when it’s absolutely necessary.
