By: Matthew Fox

Rating: 4 out of 5

It seems like just yesterday (give or take two years) EAR PWR came to our doorstep, hopeful and childishly excited to begin their careers. Their colorful clothes and crazy antics were surefire features to gain all of our musical trust, and did so with the greatest of ease. After gladly inviting them in, they wowed us with a guerilla tactic of incessant electronic bantering and catchy hooks that never left our eardrums, even after we stopped listening. The first album, Super Animal Brothers III, was a gold mine. It’s lo-fi sound and goofy nature created an identity for EAR PWR, and put them on the map as a band to keep an eye on.

But their most recent release turned this description up on its toes. Stepping away from the rambunctious electro-spazz of yesteryear, EAR PWR’s self-titled sophomore album shows a much more matured version of the group. Replacing drum machines with actual percussion, songs like “Mountain Home” and “North Carolina” refrain from ecstatic beat bursts and stick to a more straightforward approach. Also, compared to their first album, EAR PWR has a significant amount of slow tracks (slow by EAR PWR standards, that is). “Gypsy Blood” prods along at a walking pace and “Your Life is Important” serves as the motivational slow jam to conclude the record.

All of their lovable traits, however, are still present on the new album, and in full force. As they love to do, most of the new songs still have catchy one liner mantras that you will catch yourself mulling over at the oddest of times. Instead of the phrase “sparkly sparkly sweater” or “Color color everywhere!” (“Sparkley Sweater” and “Future Eyes”) going through my head at the dentist now, “If we’re at a lake I’ll walk around that lake with you” and “You think we’re dumb, maybe we’re just happy” (“Lake” and “Mountain Home”) do.

To be honest, I preferred Super Animal Brothers III, but the new album shows a group who has not only matured, but successfully found their own niche in the ever-convoluted web of genre labels. It’s worth listening to both albums, since they deviate somewhat, but both are awesome unto themselves! They’re still one happy band, and have the ability to brighten even your darkest of days. Track recommendations include “Mountain Home”, “Baby Houses”, and “Lake”.

Matthew Fox lives in Nashville, TN. He drives a Jeep, frequently looks up cute pictures of animals online, and once won $15 off a lottery ticket. An archive of his blog posts can be found at foxtalks.wordpress.com.