As part of Santa Cruz-based psych band Sleepy Sun, Evan Myall Reiss has spent the best part of a decade writing songs, playing guitar and touring the world. But in recent years, he has started working on solo music too, recording under the name Evan Myall to craft something different. Songs which draw from the swirling textures of his other projects but apply them to a more timeless pop style—channeling the likes of George Harrison, Todd Rundgren and Glen Campbell to weave rich and sincere sounds.
After EP Basic Gardening in 2018 and 2020’s self-titled full-length, this summer sees Evan Myall return with a brand new release, SNAIL. Retaining the welcoming spirit of the previous releases, the EP nevertheless widens the horizons of Myall’s sound, supporting the plush vintage guitar with easy-going Motown grooves. What emerges is a timeless picture of an unprecedented year, and a warm place in which to escape and find peace amid the tumult.
Today we’re delighted to share the EP’s lead single, ‘Stranger’. Propelling the listener straight into the record’s lush pop rock aesthetic, the song kicks into life with carefree guitars and confident drums, Myall’s vocals surfing the sound with real swagger. But classic pop wouldn’t be so without an undercurrent of sadness, and with the chorus comes a wistful edge that casts the entire thing in a new light. One fond and sad and sepia-toned, the kind of affirming melancholy that settles at the end of a summer’s day, when the sun dips low and the mind moves to past and future both.
Hey Stranger
I’d wager
that we’re in luck againDon’t worry
It’s still early
I can play the part if you’ll BE a friend.I was ON one
But now I’m all done.
Will you be there to hold me
when my time comes?
Check out the video below, with animation by Ryan Noble and character design by Seth Bogart and Hubert Guy.
SNAIL is out on 18th June. You can find Evan Myall on Bandcamp.
