The Eyebrows have released their third studio album, a collection of polished A-sides alongside their more experimental B-side versions.
Fittingly titled ‘Double Take’, the project sees The Eyebrows — a trio from North Carolina— track and mix each song in two vastly different ways, with each original entry accompanied by its more outlandish B-side, with two additional tracks for extra measure.
‘Double Take’ opens with the studio version of featured single ‘Say Yeah!’, a slice of guitar pop revelry dotted by ooh ooh harmonies with a street-tough edge.
At once gritty and resplendent, the opener brims with screechy guitar melodies and an anthemic feel, with room for instrumental solos and refracting vocal effects.
This more polished cut is accompanied by the B-side, which carries the energy of live performance with thunderous drums and lyrical bass guitar embellishments lyrical bass guitar embellishments.
Here, bandmate Jay Garrigan brings rougher edges to the vocal performance, maintaining an infectious energy seemingly purpose-built for a moshpit.
This spirit of versatility continues on ‘Open Mic Tuesday’, a jangly power-pop cut coasting on crunchy guitar hooks and sugary harmonies.
It’s counterpart maintains that same sunny flair, with Garrigan’s delivery placing emphasis on the track’s story around the band’s time running sound at local open mics.
Shoegaze gets its moment in the sun on ‘You Shook Everything, a more psychedelic entry that muses on the duality of self.
The Eyebrows bridge the gap between the A and B-side sections with bonus track ‘Descend Into Madness’, a raw and fittingly grungier effort that boasts fleet-fingered guitars and ushers in the project’s more riotous B-side.
‘Descend Into Madness’ is one of two standalone tracks on ‘Double Take’, with the project concluding on the 35-second closer ‘Be Op Bop’.
The band pack a lot into the short runtime, with tinges of The Flaming lips and an abundance of dreamy falsetto vocals, vocable syllable punctuations, and glitchy ambience.
While Side One of ‘Double Take’ was polished and produced by Mitch Easter, the B-side accompanied was handled entirely by Garrigan, who forms one third of The Eyebrows alongside bassist and vocalist Darrin Gray, and drummer Shawn Lynch.
Speaking of the unique two-side approach to the album in a press statement, Garrigan said: “We are a great studio band and a great live band, not many bands do both of those well, and I wanted to showcase those aspects on this new album.”
Get swept up in both sides of The Eyebrows’ new album ‘Double Take’ below.
