Exit Vehicles - Stages

Exit Vehicles

Stages
self-released; 2015

3.8 out of 5

By Jack Dickinson

In May 2014, an up and coming indie band known as Exit Vehicles released a self titled EP that garnered a positive review from The Even Ground writer, Demeria Harris, who spoke highly of the Washington, D.C.  by saying  “This is the type of band with a unique enough sound to garner a cult like following even if it takes a little time.”

Given what’s happened in the last year or so, Harris was most certainly correct. Since the release of their well received EP, Exit Vehicles have been quite busy. The Capitol Hill Quartet is made up of veteran Twin Brother rockers, Adam and Brian Polan and on guitar and bass, Jacob McLocklin on drums, and Brian Easley, the band’s lead singer who they found by accident on the internet.

Building on the success of their first record, Exit Vehicles went in the studio earlier this year to record their first full-length album, which was christened Stages and released to the record buying public earlier this month. This was a big moment for the group and they celebrated it by playing a special release show on the day the record came out at the Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington D.C. with other bands from their native scene like Rom and TONE!

Listening to Stages, you’ll hear the sounds of a smooth indie rock band ready to hit the radio. Two of the top tracks on this album would definitely be “Paint” and the album’s opener “Module”. The bass follows the lead guitar part well on “Up All Night” and vaguely sounds similar to material from the Killers. Some have compared Exit Vehicle’s sound to Pearl Jam as well.

It’s easy to see why when you listen to the album’s closing track, “Millennial”, a track which acts as a bit of an homage to post punk and grunge rock and laments about the baby boomers trashing the internet generation and calls out the old guard by saying “it’s our turn to have a go” at running things. This track first appeared on the band’s 2014 EP. Given the song’s message, it’s easy to see why they put it on the album, as it’s got some substance to it.

Stages shows that Exit Vehicles are not just another indie band. They’re a group with something to say and a great sound. If they keep things up, who knows how far they’ll go. If Exit Vehicles keeps making records as good as this one, maybe we can expect to see them make an appearance at next years Pitchfork festival or Lollapalooza.

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