Supervillain - It's Easy When it's Easy

Supervillain

It's Easy When it's Easy
self-released; 2017

​3.7 out of 5

By Dom Eagle

Supervillain is a rock n’ roll trio from Spokane, WA. They call themselves “underdog” rockers, as they don’t see themselves as glam or dad rockers. I’d have to agree. They’re a different kind of monster. They draw noticeable influences from Weezer and Zeppelin, but they have their own intriguing flavor. There are elements of humor in their music, but this is no joke band. They’re comprised of Scott (vocals/guitar) who moved to Washington from Wisconsin about ten years ago and joined Jeff (drums) and Bobby (bass). They’ve played together in various half-baked projects through the years, but Supervillain is their first “real” project. And it’s a great start for them.

​The eight-track EP It’s Easy When It’s Easy opens with the short but sweet “Intro.” A throbbing drum beat, a lazy guitar riff which reverberates and swells around a growling bass rhythm, and powerful, belting vocals all combine to create the opener. This is the first minute I’ve heard of Supervillain, and I’m already pumped for the rest of the EP. The track was too short if anything; that’s the only criticism I could give, but I understand that this was its purpose as an opener to the release.

“It’ll Be soon” is driven by a distorted riff, rapidly jabbed piano chords and screeching vocals which promise that, “Before I was lying / But now I tell the truth / It’ll be soon / It’ll be soon.” It’s clear and punchy yet vague at the same time. They sing of a world on fire, lies and that something will be soon, but it’s all open to interpretation. In any case, there’s a raw energy to the music behind this powerful lyrical and vocal performance. The riff uses a simplistic arpeggio to great effect as it chugs endlessly onwards.

“Best Ass In LA” is a quirky and funny look at the social media age. It opens with a short vocal sample talking about the age of Instagram and quickly bursts into a jolting, catchy guitar riff. The lyrics include gems such as, “Don’t worry what those haters say / The best ass in LA.” It’s tongue-in-cheek, but the performance is electrifying rock n’ roll that I would imagine goes down as a real treat when performed live. The climax is amazing. The vocals endlessly repeats “Who’s got the best ass in LA?” atop the growing sound of a chugging electric guitar rhythm and the noisy vocal sample. It all explodes into the infectiously catchy guitar riff and bombastic chorus concerning the best ass in LA. They never do say who has it, though.

“Addicted To Darkness” is an unexpected change of pace. A slow guitar melody and tentative vocals guide the listener gently into the track. A slow beat and sombre organ notes join the mix as the song progresses, but the music occasionally drops away as the singer merely wails the word “d-d-darkness” into the soundless abyss. It’s got an interesting vibe, and the screeching guitar solo halfway through the running time was unexpected given the mellow and melancholic vibes of the track.

This EP was really fun to listen to. It had a great blend of serious topics, not-so-serious topics and great music. They’ve really nailed a catchy sound, but it’s not shallow catchiness. There’s something for listeners to really sink their teeth into here.

Spotify

Tweet