Bright Light Fever - The Evening Owl

Genre rock Publisher Stolen Transmission Records External Links Official Bright Light Fever Website Official Stolen Transmission Records Website

In many ways, it's difficult to pin down a band like Bright Light Fever. Are they rock? Are they punk? Are they 90s alternative? Ultimately, what makes The Evening Owl a great listen is because BLF is all of those things and still manages to be a supremely enjoyable band. Some listeners might prefer for BLF to just pick a single genre and stay with it, but this quartet from Sacramento seems to have figured out the trick to blending different styles without overdoing it.

The Evening Owl opens with "Broken Hands," a track that immediately gives listeners a sense of BLF's style. The sparse intro with nothing but drums leads into crunchy guitars and lead singer Evan Anthony Ferro's slightly jarring voice. The song, like many of the other tracks, races along at a breakneck tempo combining art punk and a little bit of funk. It could have been a disastrous combination, but BLF manages to pull it together in such a way that songs such as this are irresistibly catchy.

"Mother Mary Blues" is a clear standout on the eleven track album. Based on a simple descending chord pattern, BLF demonstrates how good they are at making a lot out of a relative little and combining pieces of other musical genres that would ordinarily seem out of place on a modern rock album. If listeners are looking for a happy, feel good sort of song, they should keep looking as BLF's songs tend towards the dark side. However, rather than wallow in self pity or angst, the band allows its music to be dark enough to remain interesting without becoming another tired rock cliche.

BLF takes things further into the crunchy punk sound with "How Much Is That Gun," a track that begins with a seriously dark guitar intro reminiscent of The Kaiser Chiefs' "I Predict A Riot." The song may take its cues from U.K. punk but avoids being nothing more than a copy. Like most of BLF's songs, "How Much Is That Gun" definitely leans towards the darker side, but still remains accessible for the average listener.

Occasionally some of the tracks on The Evening Owl sound a little too much the same and it's a little unclear why they would have put "Good Mary Blues" right after "Mother Mary Blues." However, the good far outweighs the bad on BLF's debut album. Their talent at blending various genres with solid rock stands them in good stead and makes The Evening Owl an excellent addition to one's music collection.