REVIEW: Into It. Over It. – Twelve Towns

Into It. Over It.

Artist: Into It. Over It.
Album: Twelve Towns
Label: Topshelf Records

Over the past 18 months, the output from Chicago’s Evan Thomas Weiss has been more than overwhelming. His Twelve Towns collection was originally released through numerous splits with the likes of Such Gold, Everything Everywhere and Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate). As a result of these splits receiving such good feedback, Weiss has decided to compile the tracks together for the complete release.

Like his previous LP, 52 Weeks, Twelve Towns sensibly shows Weiss variation in both terms of style and song-writing; “Nashville, TN” is a short and delicate acoustic number that shows Weiss’ ability to produce an engaging and intimate moment. Whereas “Orlando, FL” is a sturdy indie rock track.

Throughout Twelve Towns is just Weiss and his guitar, although for some this may not seem appealing nevertheless moments like the plucky “Westmont, NJ” are endearing and sensibly gives Evan the space for his words to breathe. Whereas “Portland, OR” is a somewhat atmospheric track with a mellow and slow burning tempo that is compelling and suits Weiss’ voice well.

Nevertheless there are numbers where it’s clear Weiss is willing to be influences by his punk rock roots; both “Summerville, SC” and “Washington, DC” thrive off his passion and energy. The former is a steady but fast number with a decent structure and somewhat wakes the album up from its comfortable acoustic lull. In a similar fashion, “Washington, DC” is a rocking, energetic number with punching drums, a strong bassline and an overall appreciative structure, that cleverly shows Weiss’ ability to pull off different styles.

From start to finish there are subtle influences of the region Weiss is singing about, for example the guitars on “Brenham, TX” has slight bluesy feel. Whilst lyrically, his’ storytelling ability draws you in and is constantly compelling; the soft “Cambridge, MA” tells of a friend’s time on the road with Weiss in a formula, whilst “Pontiac, MI” a thoughtful, warming tale of close friendships; well that’s how I interpreted it.

On the whole, Twelve Towns is an attentive collection with good amount of variation to please both new and old fans. From the sturdy full-band moments to the intimate solo points, it’s clear Weiss is a strong and sensible song-writer who truly cares about his craft. On Twelve Towns, he has used his experiences on the road valuably, resulting in a concise collection songs that are beneficial for both fans and Weiss himself.

SCORE: 8/10
Review written by: Sean Reid

James Shotwell
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