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Tag: Album Review

  • Ike World By Eichlers

    Ike World By Eichlers

    Album: Ike World

    Artist: Eichlers

    Release: June 14, 2024, Self Release

    I am going to be honest with y’all. When this album was announced and pitch as THE “summer punk” album I was a little bummed. The love of Hyper Ska burns deep inside me and I was hoping for some more of what we got from “My Checkered Future”. While I can’t say I was not excited when I hit play for the first time, I was still a little apprehensive.

    Breaking from my usual routine of starting at track 1 and playing the album start to finish, I instead skipped right to the song “A Goofy Movie” mainly to see if Ike drops the sample, he is known for in this song but also because it is a pretty classic 90s movie with a great pop soundtrack. Ike also seems to have at least some amount of respect for. I wanted to see what kind of song Ike deemed worthy of the name. While he does not use the sample in the song. I am happy to report that the phrase is used in the lyrics, and it hits hard. This was the first clue that Ike was going to be subverting my expectations for this album. The song itself is super catchy and upbeat. A highlight of the album. The next standout song for me was “Hindsight 420”. This is a definitive call back song that managed to distill the vibes of his last full-length album “My Checked Future” into a 2 minute and 20 seconds of pure joy. I especially enjoyed the lyric “I think I just flipped other flop” another subversion, this time referencing a lyric from the song ”Hi”. I can’t help but smile every time I hear it. Another thing that brings me absolute joy is the piano in “Tongue V. Cheek” it starts the song out in this rather grand fashion then slowly melds perfectly into the song.

    While this release might not be pure Hyper Ska it is still crammed full all the with and humor that Eichlers fan have come to expect and love.

    This Review was Originally post on 10-04-2029 one the Lonely Ghost Records Community Blog

    If you like the album I reviewed here and want to support the artist as well as this blog please consider picking up the album via this affiliate link—> Purchase Ike World by Eichlers digitally via Amazon Music

  • Songs Offline by Eichlers

    Songs Offline by Eichlers

    Ablum: Songs offline

    Artist: Eichlers

    Released: February 01, 2024; Self Released

    Spotify

    If you are anything like me, you have probably said to yourself something along the lines of “man, Ike seems like a cool dude. I bet we would have a great time sitting around a campfire making s’mores and singing songs”. Songs Offline gives listeners a taste of that experience albeit parasocially. It is Hyper Ska superstar Eichlers, acoustic guitar in hand, laptop powered off, and raw in a way that is unique; yet still filled with all the wit and charm for which he is known.  

    First off, this album features a brand-new song called “3rd Ring”. It is a great song about loneliness and the anxiety of reaching out for connections. It is a real sleeper hit that leaves me torn between wanting a hyper ska version but also not wanting one because it is hard to imagine that this song isn’t perfect as is. The rest of the album at its root is a selection of previously released songs given the acoustic treatment but leaving it at that is doing it a grave injustice. For example, “Nickel City” as originally released is an earnest and sincere celebration of youth spent with friends. However, the tone to the acoustic version is much more somber. It leaves you with a longing for the good times long past, not in a regretful way but rather in a joyful sadness kind of way. It really pulls at the strings of my old, jaded heart. The next song the really suck out to me on the album was “My Checkered Future”. The Songs Offline version obviously still has the same self-deprecating humor and upbeat attitude that led me to declare it my theme song. I have spent countless moments belting out the words. What you get from this version is a reduction in tempo that makes the song infinitely singable and with a chilliness that makes it so cool. It has near perfect vibes if I am being honest. My only real criticism of the album is the lack of Reade Wolcott in “2 of Us”. Given the scope of the album, it makes sense that Ike would go in solo on the song, but without Reade the song lacks the duet aspect that really made the original something special. Perhaps there is potential for redemption in this department at the next Badtime Records Show. A team-up between Ike and Reade live on stage for the acoustic rendition of this song would be truly epic. Oh, one last thing, in “Oh My God” when the piano hits it is amazing. I kid you not when I first heard it, I bit my lip and inhaled. It took me aback that much.

    Song Offline is a definite hit that really showcases the range and talent of Eichlers. I honestly hope that this album is not one off and that we can expect more original and revised acoustic songs from Ike in the future.

    P.S. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Evil Eichlers please contact me. Only you can keep the scene safe from mythical tricksters.

    This review was originally posted on February 17, 2024 on the former LFDH substack.

    If you like the album I reviewed here and want to support the artist as well as this blog please consider picking up the album via this affiliate link—> Purchase Songs Offline by Eichlers digitally via Amazon Music