Guster’s seventh studio album, Evermotion, is the result of unexpected perfection, hearty percussion and ambient keyboard textures.
The album’s first single, “Simple Machine,” sweeps listeners into a dancing frenzy, opening with a pop-throwback drum beat and moving synth lines, reminiscent of a 1980’s rave. It’s hard not to find yourself screaming the catchy lyrics, “I’ll never find my way back / I’ll never find my way back home” at the top of your lungs.
“Simple Machine” is exactly what I want to hear while my hands wave frantically in the air, on the verge of a break-out dance party. It features a driving blend of drums, keys and conga textures, and is very danceable.
Soothing xylophones chime on tracks such as “Long Night,” with ambient guitars weeping in the background. The raw, profound drum mix brings me back to the high-school garage-band days. Guster’s medley, texture and gigantic body of sound gives you an overwhelming presence; as if you were standing dead-center in their rehearsal space.
Tunes like “Doing It By Myself” reveal Guster’s alter-ego, a half-time island vibe with shimmering steel drums, as well as “Lazy Love,” an infectious symphony of vocal harmonies in an airy breath that reverberates throughout the track’s entirety.
Evermotion is a special album because it is established as a piece of art, not just a set of music and lyric.
After the band sought out The Black Keys’ bassist, Richard Swift, there was an instant harmony. On the bands website, Guster’s bio quotes Swift as being the type of artist “that’s always standing back and taking in the whole canvas.” With each stroke, the album takes on a different form and has projected the band into a new realm of sound.
Guster’s guitarist, Adam Gardner, attests to the album’s uncharted audio genius. “We had just one microphone over the drum kit, used whole takes and didn’t obsess over vocals or really editing things at all,” Gardner was quoted on Guster.com.
Both perfection and imperfection elevate the organic bliss of Evermotion, an album that can only be understood listening from start to finish. Study each note, lyric and rhythmic texture as if it were painted on a blank canvas, then step back and embrace its every detail. This is an musical experience you don’t want to miss.