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Awek

Awek (2002)
New Amsterdam

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: Scott
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on November 8th 2002

This EP is a breath of fresh air in today's music scene - with so many genre-bending bands putting out line-crossing releases, it's nice to sit back and listen to a straight up jazzy indie rock band. Awek is just that band.

There's nothing overtly special about this Brooklyn quartet at first glance - the 5 songs contained on this, their debut EP follow the basic indie rock playbook. The first few, "Is This Easy?" and "Guess Whose Birthday's Coming" are more on the slower side, with sparsely played chords and singer Paul taking some vocal embellishments on the latter.

The band kicks it up a notch for "Phototype," a really catchy, fast paced song that's over in just over a minute thirty. It reminds me of Mineral's early work. The tempo slows down again for "Say Goodbye," which has a bit of a Modest Mouse groove to it - you feel like the drummer is going to slide behind the beat, because he's always just a fraction of a second too close to doing such a thing. It's a very laid back, cool feel that definitely rocks out at points with frantically strummed guitar and a simplistic guitar solo.

The all-too-short EP [seriously - 5 songs in 12 minutes? the Queers don't even play that fast!] comes to a close with "Annie Hardly Listens Now." This song again goes back into a faster groove for the band, and again draws a bit of a Modest Mouse comparison, or just the northwest indie rock sound in general [Death Cab For Cutie, Sebadoh, Built To Spill, etc.]. The dueling guitars are subtle but well done, and the lyrics are heartfelt without getting cliche.

This is definitely an impressive first release for a virtually unknown band - hopefully they won't fade away too quickly like so many others seem to do. Awek's debut EP will make you believe that indie rock is alive and well in the new millennium.

MP3s
Phototype
Say Goodbye

REAL AUDIO
Phototype
Say Goodbye

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Anonymous (November 14, 2002)

pennywise are jock rock. look at those fucking meat heads.

Anonymous (November 14, 2002)

Poop on a plate!!!!

Anonymous (November 12, 2002)

Jock rock?! PW isn't jock rock. Jock rock is like van halen or the stupid "band" limp biscuit or some garbage. Pennywise may have some "fans" that are either a.) assholes and only know the singles, b.) who might be in good shape. which everyone should be....no one likes a fat peice of shit sweating all over the place., or c.) Just love the music and the lyrics. Anyone who labels pennywise as "jock rock" should take bullet in the head. I hate generalizing groups, it makes you just as bad as them. Just be yourself.

maverick (November 11, 2002)

Dude, is there anything stopping you from writing a Pavement review?

I thought not.

Now shaddupa yo face.

-Scott

tgarn (November 10, 2002)

weel, they released their first cd in 1991, so is 11 years not enough time to write a couple of paragraphs?

Anonymous (November 10, 2002)

WELL YOU SEE: it just takes some time little girl...

tgarn (November 9, 2002)

Why hasn't there ever been a pavement review? Would some of you lazy ##### get on that?

Anonymous (November 9, 2002)

none of you count. nobody does, because in the end we're all dead men. when will you learn?

-REekO

Anonymous (November 8, 2002)

Do the Apples in the Stereo give you too much indie cred? I don't think so..

homie (November 8, 2002)

Even though I listen, or have listened, to both old Get Up Kids albums and Pennywise. In fact I own albums by both bands. But, I also own Superchunk, Pele and Apples in Stereo. On the other hand, System of a Down, Metallica and Slayer are in my record collection. However, so is Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman. So, do I count???

Anonymous (November 8, 2002)

yes - samuel

homie (November 8, 2002)

A good indie rock album, but a little generic. I'm neither a or b as described below, so does that meant my opinion counts???

Anonymous (November 8, 2002)

this is an amazing album with an amazing album review. very rock. you typical punk news reader will not understand this album because they are either a) self proclaimed emo kids who think the get up kids invented indie rock in 1996 or b) jock assholes who listen to pennywise and the like. love - samuel