CD Review: The Everyday Visuals

Things Will Look Up

By Ashley Emert

I had never heard of The Everyday Visuals until I saw them open for Bleu, a musician from Boston, at Jacksonville University. I fell in love with their music as soon as I heard it. An indicator of a good band is when I first see them live and I can’t help but dance and wish I already knew the lyrics so I could sing along, and that’s what happened when I saw them perform.

The most interesting thing about The Everyday Visuals is that none of the band members only play one instrument exclusively: the bassist also played drums and the drummer also played keyboards (as did the lead singer and guitarist). This versatility comes through in their second album, Things Will Look Up.

The album opens with “Just Like Me” which has lead singer Christopher Pappas lamenting how he’s leaving his love, but doesn’t really want to. This contradictory theme runs through a few of the other songs as well.

“Said And Done” is a catchy, up-tempo song about fate. Pappas sings, “It’s all planned out for us, you can’t escape it, you will break my heart, it’s said and done.” Fate is another theme The Everyday Visuals explore throughout the album.

The background sounds on track three, “Watertown Yard,” are reminiscent of some of the songs from the last Postal Service album. The happier-sounding “Two Birds” follows “Watertown Yard.” Happier-sounding, yes, but it also contains slightly depressing lyrics: “We’re two birds of a feather, same stone.”

My favorite song on the album is track five, “I’ll Take It All In Stride,” which was also my favorite song they played live. The way the instruments all ebb and flow together just make my little heart smile with glee. The song is about trying to get over someone that you truly love and possibly trying to smooth things over. It ends on the hopeful words, “if it’s meant to be then it will be.”

Tracks six and seven both have borderline-emo titles: “Why Would You Say These Things To Me?” and “How To Hurt The Ones You Love The Most,” respectively. Both songs are about someone knowing the best way to intentionally hurt the person who loves them.

The lyrics in “Dance And Holler” include “things will look up,” the name of the album. The song repeats lyrics a few times, which makes it almost sound like a song kids might sing on a playground. One problem I have with this album is apparent on this song: with the different layers of vocals and instruments, sometimes it can be difficult to decipher the lyrics.

Another emo-sounding track title is “Headstrong And Heartweak.” This song has some of my favorite lyrics on the album: “I found your letters here with a breath of love for him that you exhale, though they were not mine, gotta love a girl that sighs.” Although it sounds like a contradiction, the song is sadly happy.

“Driving” is my least favorite song on the album and is also the slowest. I am personally more a fan of faster, more upbeat music and slow songs are not my favorite. It would be a perfect song to listen to while it’s raining.

Track 11, “I Want The Lie,” makes a Beatles reference and then uses a boat going up in smoke as an analogy for a relationship ending. I like the sentiment of wanting the lie rather than hearing the truth. It’s a slower song with pretty harmonies and a simple message.

The last track on the album is a reprise of “Why Would You Say These Things To Me?” It is basically like the band couldn’t decide which version to put on the album and just put both. I’m not sure this was the best song for them to end on.

If you want a solid pop/rock album with great melodies and simple, yet honest lyrics, this is the one for you. With songs that talk about fate and breakups, they have the hopeful notion that things will look up — I have a feeling that things are definitely looking up for this Boston band.