Album Review: EAT - Songs of Thanks

EAT 

Songs of Thanks

**and1/2 out of *****

The Brooklyn based four piece EAT deliver a slice of sludgy stoner rock on their debut release Songs of Thanks.  The tracks run long and heavy and are in no hurry to get anywhere as the band lumbers along via loud thundering beats and heavy riffs.

Opener "Mayor of Chinatown" sets the tone as the group, Ben Apatoff: lead vocals Billy Maloney: bass, backing vocals Andrew Davis: guitar, backing vocals Pat Paredes: drums, let their hard rock ways announce their intentions. Most of the tracks flow out in this fashion like rising from the tar pit sound of "Cookie Bucket and the over ten minute behemoth, prog-flavored doom rock of "French Vanilla Ghost"; the best track in this style for EAT.

The better efforts add unique flourishes, such as the lead riffs and literal smashing of glass on "Gorilla Tits" which also features shifting of singing styles to guttural hardcore bellows for the chorus. "Gathering in the Mind" is an interesting experiment which fuses folksy whimsy with their heavy sound in a Flaming Lip style even if Apatoff's vocals become stretched too thin at times. "Get The Strap" switches things up going shorter and faster, but the band seems more comfortable with time to stretch out.

If it hasn't come through with their song titles the band also has an oddball humorous streak running through the music. A track like "Rabbit (W)hole" feels like it could have been a Primus outtake around their Anitpop era with a rumbling low end, distorted vocals, countdown chants and smirk inducing lyrics.

The highlighted "The Actress" kicks up the tempo and scratching six string work from Davis while telling the timeless tale of broken dreams over pounding drums. The metal work and ability to not take themselves too seriously make for Songs of Thanks an engaging debut from EAT.
________________________________________________
The album was released a year ago today and RtBE became aware of the record via Andrew who we met down in the village. Support the band, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp below: