Andorra - etc, etc, etc​.​.​.

Andorra

etc, etc, etc​.​.​.
self-released; 2014

3.8 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

I was listening to the album etc, etc, etc​.​.​. by Andorra and staring at the cover art trying to decipher what their cover art meant if anything. The disturbing picture of a man calming holding a still bleeding human heart had me perplexed. Perhaps they are figuratively explaining heartbreak on a whole new level. Either way if nothing else it got my attention. 

etc, etc, etc​.​.​. is an album that feels like an album for a number of reasons. No filler just eleven meaty songs that combine rock and punk into their own style. It was obvious to me that the band put some time into thinking about sequential order (the last song is called “The End”), which is something that I think is more and more overlooked because of the advent of streaming services like Spotify and Deezer.  On top of that the songs are well produced and sound radio ready as the band had the songs professionally recorded, mixed and mastered.

The band has said that the album is an “identity crisis” but I have to say I have heard much worse identity crises than what Andorra presents. As I was listening to the album I heard elements of bands like Weezer and Green Day but not just limited to those two bands. Andorra isn’t introducing anything new but they are talented in a number of ways. The riffs are often creative; I thoroughly enjoyed the vocals and I thought the majority of the songs were very well written.

etc, etc, etc​.​.​. starts off with a very strong song called “Wired.” The initial riff they bust into grooves hard before melting into the verse. McCall sings “I’m still wired from before / Shake my hand through the door / I’m a nervous wreck to sink / Ship me off with what you think.” Once the chorus comes it sounds like Weezer back in the days of The Blue Day. It’s a very impressive opener that rocks out.

Tell me that “What Goes Around” doesn’t remind you of Green Day back in the ‘90s. Well at least the opening riff was something I could have imagined being on Dookie. As the song progresses some of the vocal melodies are quite infectious and even has a section that sounds like it’s on the verge of metal.

So the identity crisis things become a bit apparent on “Tell Me Father,” which sounds more like an alternative song from the ‘90s. Notice a pattern. The album certainly borrows a lot from that era whether the band is aware of that fact or not. Not a bad thing in my opinion. 

The next couple of songs were golden. “Ain’t It A Shame,” “Turn Me” and “Still Got Me” were all quality songs. etc, etc, etc...  is a solid album with a number of good songs and a couple I would consider better than good. Recommended.

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