OVER THE EARTH

Not sure why they chose to call this excellent 39 minute album an "EP" but it sure has the impact and satisfaction of a full length. Over The Earth are a most interesting Parisian crossover band who have a great future ahead of them. They are fans of Radiohead and Mars Volta but the first reference I thought of was KingBathmat.

I can't believe this album has been out for nearly a year and hasn't been discovered sooner, there's almost no trace of it on the blogs. Cut to the chase? These guys are great! They can do anything Radiohead can do and are infinitely more fun than the genius sourfaced boys. This band throws together some of the most exquisite crossover I've ever heard. Bolting from sneering vocal modern rock to Sci-fi conjured guitar screams to sudden, drop-dead gorgeous 70s soundscapes of serene Mellotron. They can bring modern rock and retro sounds right into each other's arms with no awkward feeling of kissing your sister. There are brooding piano interludes and velvety strummed acoustics and everything in between: Moog, Rhodes, and great arrangements of such diversity. But most impressive is that rather than sounding a sloppy drunk mess, as so many bands who throw everything at the wall may do, these songs are focused and really hold up well. I get into every track's groove immediately from the fist pumping stuff to the close your eyes and dream parts. I talk about the power of youth often when discussing music and these French lads are another example of the magic at work....great ideas, energy, camaraderie, and no stoned left unturned. I don't believe there is a CD unfortunately, you will need to download this one from Bandcamp or elsewhere. Hopefully their upcoming 2015 release will have a CD option.

This short album doesn't need a lot of my words. It rocks. You really need to hear it. Before you cast your 2014 ballots!