The Conscious Kind - Eyes Wide Open

The Conscious Kind

​Eyes Wide Open
self-released; 2015

3.4 out of 5

By Andrew Westberry

Made up of friends and connections from various high schools and colleges in Florida, The Conscious Kind is a four-piece rock band and is a three-time champion in battles of the band contests. Their recent release Eyes Wide Open is the band’s debut album, and although the album isn’t a concept album, each song was written with an obvious flow and a vague story written between the lines, which makes the album feel cohesive and complete.

“Get Real”, the opening song of the album, quickly steers the music towards a classic acoustic-driven rock style. Electric guitars and energetic vocals propel the song forward, and the electric theme is continued in “Midnight Eyes” with a slowly building intro that transitions into a groovy, keyboard laden sound. The band’s vocals play a big part in binding together the various sounds provided by the other band members and the emotive singing in “Weapons” is an example of this.

The next track on the record belies its title, “Tired Song”, because even as the lyrics and tempo are rather sleepy, the band pours its unfettered energy into the dynamics of the song. The contrast makes this song very enjoyable to experience. “Don’t Let Go” starts out with a repeated, lonely note that quickly shifts to an upbeat, minor chorus that gradually expands into a full-fledged rock anthem.

The record’s longest song “Plight of Mr. Ned” is also arguably the best, even with its lack of vocals, as it has the time and space to experiment, tweak and land on catchy rhythms and riffs. The title track of the album follows this up nicely with a love song capturing harmonious tones and presenting an alert, yet lazy aura. “You and I” liven up the scene a bit with pounding drums and swelling guitars, paving the way for a conventional alternative rock style to take its place in the song.

The album ends with “Stars Feel Our Energy” an apt and reflective ending to this tremendous record. Overall, The Conscious Kind have managed to experiment with many styles and sounds on their first release without abandoning the core techniques and attitudes that infuse all of their songs.

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