Eternals are an indie rock band from Somerville, Massachusetts, led by Stephen Konrads. a follow-up to their self-titled debut, their latest album Isn’t That Anyone sees the group operating at a newfound level of maturity. Eternals cite influences such as Wilco, Spoon and Sparklehorse, as well as what they refer to as “sonic shape-shifters” such as Radiohead and Bjork, which gives you a good sense of the general direction they’re aiming in. It’s also clear to see that Eternals are not afraid to experiment themselves, the eight tracks across Isn’t That Anyone a swirling mix of sounds and genres, amalgamating into what the band have christened “atmospheric Americana”.
Opener ‘Raised by Wolves’ has a slinking groove, Konrads’s vocals raised like a flag against the instrumentation. The chorus has a definite pop sensibility, hitting that rock-pop sweet spot in a way that reminded me of the catchier Plants & Animals tracks.
“You’re the one that I want at the end of the night
when nobody else is around
hard enough just to hold on to something real
see I was raised by wolves who turned the dark into light
I haven’t forgotten”
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‘Out of Context’ is much gentler, the vocal harmonies like a calming balm, while the slow burning ‘Rumours of a Strange Universe’ eventually hits a galloping pace without ever quite losing its reflective mood. ‘See You’ is a big thudding slo-mo rock song, sort of like Low’s brand of slowcore in the way the echoed vocals swim through reverb. ‘Bar Room Dancing’ sounds just like the title suggests, raucous and jubilant, before the altogether more serious and atmospheric ‘Original Sin’, which could be describing as a thinking man’s synth pop.
The final two tracks are ‘Affirmation I’ and ‘Affirmation II’. The first is smooth and heartfelt, the vocals hitting an almost R&B-style honeyed groove, backed by steady percussion and eventually escalating just beyond the halfway mark. The second part, subtitled ‘Vectevs’ is again slow and reflective, telling the story of Konrads’s grandfather who escaped Soviet forces in Latvia in the forties. The track extends beyond the seven minute mark, a patient and ultimately thankful ode to those who came before us in history. It’s a timely reminder to step back and take stock, to ignore those petty day-to-day worries and see your place in the world for what it really is – pretty remarkable.
“And sometimes when things go wrong
I think of what has been done
for me”
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You can get Isn’t That Anyone on vinyl or digital download via the Eternals Bandcamp page.