Heartbreaking Bravery

Yohuna, Communions, Pfarmers, Daphne, Eros and the Eschaton, Cassels, Atlas Engine, Pansy Division, Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam, Esp Ohio, Prudence, The Linedots, Blueheels, and Dog Orchestra all had excellent new songs emerge over the past week and either established or reaffirmed their impressive potential. In addition to that impressive roster, Big Eyes joined the ranks of bands returning in a manner that more than proves they haven’t lost a step.

Kaitlyn Eldridge first caught my attention with Cheeky, back in the mid-’00s. Later on, I’d have the distinct pleasure of sharing a few bills with Eldridge as her ensuing band, Used Kids, went on a long tour with site favorites Tenement. Shortly after that extensive run of dates, Used Kids splintered apart and Eldridge started what would become a new DIY punk staple with Big Eyes and, nearly off the bat, wrote one of the best basement pop songs of the past 16 years.

From the outset, all of Big Eyes’ releases — including a handful of excellent 7″ entries — have been exceptional and Eldridge has anchored all of them with a distinctive writing voice and a deeply relatable personality. With the band’s forthcoming release, Stake My Claim, looming just over the horizon, there’s plenty of reason to greet its arrival with excitement.

Heightening the anticipatory fervor is the recently-released “Behind Your Eyes”, which boasts a characteristically understated chorus section and some of the band’s best verses to date. Masterfully constructed and meticulously executed, “Behind Your Eyes” is a very welcome reminder of the band’s formidable understanding of their genre and their willingness to bend expectations to create moments that come across as legitimately bracing.

It’s an extraordinarily promising listen from a record that’s already shaping up to be a listen that’s tough to shake, which is a feat that most bands can never manage to achieve. Big Eyes aren’t most bands, though, and “Behind Your Eyes” should be irrepressible proof. Give it a try…   and then come back for seconds.

Listen to “Behind Your Eyes” below and pre-order Stake My Claim from Don Giovanni here.