The brainchild of Jarrod Brown (former bass player of Custom Kings) Eagle & The Worm is very much Brown’s musical vision made flesh. This has resulted in quite an assured, if at times a little derivative, debut album from the eight-piece band.
Starting off with the moody, melancholic “Summer Song”, the album switches gears many times during its duration. This can be both a blessing and a curse; a blessing in that it shows off how talented and versatile Brown and his band are, but at times it feels like boxes are being ticked in regards to musical influence and style.
However, when this all clicks, it does so beautifully. The best example of this is the lead off single, the joyous “All I Know”. Starting off with a country vibe to it, the song is soon hijacked by a beautifully Brazillian-influenced brass riff that courses through the track, taking the listener somewhere they didn’t expect to go.
Other standout tracks on the album include “Too Young”, “Futureman”, the title track and “Not Coming Home”.
In regards to musical influence, the band are all over the place. Again, both a good and bad thing. One can hear everything from The Rolling Stones to Parliament/Funkadelic in regards to the range of influences on Eagle & The Worm.
A very promising debut album from one of the most promising bands in the country at the moment. As an interesting side note, the songs tend to take one a greater sense of life and spontaneity in a live format. Eagle & The Worm are a wonderful band on a live front; definitely worth catching next time they’re playing somewhere near you.
– Neil Evans
