Artist: Eye Alaska
Album: Genesis Underground
Genre: Pop/Rock/Funk/
Label: Fearless

The sexiest album of the year has arrived. Coming off their extremely strong debut EP, Eye Alaska have returned with their debut full length, Genesis Underground which hits stores this Tuesday, July 7th. Choosing to remake and reuse only one song from their prior release, the group has given us an album so impressive that by the time our first listening session ended, two of our writers [Grant and James], began guessing where the record would fall on our “End of 2009” TOP 5 list.

Genesis Underground beings not like bang, but more like a swelling of emotion. “Walk Like A Gentleman,” the lead track, sounds like a early millennium boy band track that’s been reworked for a new audience and I mean all of that in an astoundingly great way. Brandon Wronski, the group’s frontman, has the most stunning voice since Johnny Craig, Craig Owens, and Anthony Green stepped onto the scene. It has this timeless romantic feel that blends the pop hop skills of Justin Timberlake with the croon of a white Marvin Gaye and just a dash of rock skill. There’s a subtle attitude underneath every croon that let’s you know he knows he’s teasing you with his vocal chords.

As we begin to get deeper into the record, there’s a very relaxed atmosphere that carries throughout the album’s entirety. Multiple tracks, like “Show Me Daluv” and “Rocky Road” feature Wronski speaking directly to the listener as if the band were performing solely for you and others, including the “Star Pilot” interlude features VerB$, an until now unknown [at least to me] artist whose deep voice soothes the listener while intensifying the overall mood. It’s a really intriguing approach to a record as many claim to try to make it a one and one experience with the listener, but Eye Alaska actually succeeds at making each and every listen feel like a private performance in your mind’s eye. It’s gorgeous and the exceptional production only helps to further that idea.

Digging into more of the actual album, it’s hard to figure out which to discuss and which to leave for you to discover. I say this because I’ve not been this overwhelmingly pleased with a single record this entire year. However, there are of course a few standouts that deserve highlighting. “Miles Don’t Mean Anything,” an acoustic laced number about distance and how it affects relationships, is one of the most stripped and resounding songs in the band’s catalog. The light accompaniment early on screams for radio attention and the lyrics are deep, yet on a level that many will be able to relate. Also, a bit later, we come across the new rendition of “Roll Right Over” which adds some slightly heavier bass and drum lines that only serve to once again intensify the romantic atmosphere the record creates.

Let me make a few things clear for all our readers. First off, you don’t listen to this record, you experience it. It’s not background music, but mood music. It doesn’t accompany something, it sets the tone and atmosphere of any situation. Secondly, this record will cause a spike in teen pregnancy rates. It simply puts you in the mood for passion as every note whether from an instrument or a vocal layer exudes nothing short romantic tones and melodies. Third, and most important, Eye Alaska have created a near flawless record. From beginning to end, without question, there’s nothing but solid song writing, wonderful vocals, solid harmony, and an overall product that can be found nowhere else than on this album. This is original. This is talent. This is timeless.

Score: 9.9/10

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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