Show Preview: Eternal Summers @ Mohawk (9/20)

Date Thursday, September 20th
Location Mohawk
Doors 9 PM
Tickets $8 from Mohawk

As if Thursday night couldn’t get any crazier for us folks here in Austin, here’s another show that should be on your radar if you’re not planning on attending the gig we’re sponsoring over at Red 7. Eternal Summers come to town fresh off the release of their latest, Correct Behavior, which is brimming with post-punk hooks and sing-a-long melodies.  Their show is definitely going to be a bouncing good time, especially since they’re joined by Bleeding Rainbow, who are just about to release their own album, Yeah Right, in early 2013.  Oh, and with local favorites Rayon Beach opening, you’re sure to get your money’s worth.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/03YouKill.mp3]

Download:Eternal Summers – You Kill[MP3]

Eternal Summers – Correct Behavior

Rating: ★★★★☆

It’s hard these days to find a blow-your-mind pop record that will last you longer than on or two listens without boring you. Often, I’ll fall in love with an album that falls flat upon further inspection, so when I first listened to Correct Behavior, I assumed that it would be once again another throw-away album, but Eternal Summers have a bit more in store than that.

You can’t really blame me for believing that this album was going to be like others when you listen to the first track, “Millions.” It’s got all the symptoms of a one hit wonder written all over it: endless guitar hooks, toe-tapping worthy drums and the perfectly shrieky vocals of lead singer Nicole Yun topping it all off. Sensationally sunny, the song starts things off infectiously, maintaining the youthful sound that Eternal Summers brought to the table on their debut, Silver, but also a bit fuller than that of previous recordings. Yes, the track still only lasts two and a half minutes, but it’s a bit meatier than before, although all the sunshine that you could ask for, which led me to think it was a little too good to be true.

This feeling of astonishment continues, as the band lays down hit after hit in the main bulk of the album. Third on the roster is another standout track in “You Kill,” which once again brings the power pop in its raging guitars and quick-tempo percussion. The song is one of the longest on the album and it does not disappoint. It pushes and pulls from chorus to verse, Yun’s voice being the element to lead you through both. Towards the end you have the nice garage-y breakdown that adds yet another dimension to Eternal Summer’s sound; twists like these help keep things fresh as the record continues. Another one of these unexpected turns comes on “Girls in the City,” with male vocals and a greater emphasis on the drums than the guitars, which leaves me a little reminiscent of The-Go-Betweens and bands of the like.

When all is said and done and Correct Behavior comes to a close after a brief thirty minutes, you’ll immediately be ready to give it another spin. This three-piece band does their thing and they do it well, fulfilling your desire for a fun summer release, but they also don’t make it easy to part with their sound at the close. It’s fittingly akin to the name of the band in that like this season, you don’t really want it to end and hopefully Eternal Summers have found a way to make their sunny punk-pop carry into the cooler months…which seem to be quite a ways away for us Austinites.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/03YouKill.mp3]

Download:Eternal Summers – You Kill [MP3]