Everyone Everywhere- A Lot of Weird People Standing Around

I wish I had the musical hindsight to appreciate some of the amazing music produced throughout the 1990’s while it was happening. Of course at the time I was busy trying to imitate Jonathan Davis, of Korn, and actually believed that music couldn’t get any better than Limp Bizkit’s 3 Dolla Bill Y’all. Tragic really. It was only much after the fact, well into the 2000’s, that I discovered the Promise Ring, Texas is the Reason, Braid, and Mineral. At that point they were all disbanded (though I did witness the Braid reunion tour and the final Texas is the Reason show). Regardless, I can appreciate bands that pick up where the 90’s indie-emo scene left off and wholeheartedly support any band that can actually expand on it. Philadelphia’s Everyone Everywhere, are, in many ways, the new flag bearers of 90’s emo (the poppier end of it anyway), and they are running with it.

I picked up a copy of their 7”, A Lot of Weird People Standing Around when my band played a show a couple weeks ago with them and their Pennsylvania/New Jersey cohorts, Pirouette and By Surprise. After listening to the 4-song EP several dozens of times (it actually hasn’t left my living room record player) I can say assuredly that it’s really fucking good.

The EP opens with “Everyhow Everythere” which is a perfect introduction to the band; bright guitars strumming through the tap-your-toes bass/percussion. The lyrics are simplistic, and though at times vapid , “Everyone’s everywhere when you’re stuck at home in your underwear,” the minimalist sentiment works for them and at points during the album, borders on profound (see Cool Pool Keg Toss Pete). The next song on side A, “Thermal Dynamics” is equally as brilliant; bittersweet and longing without sounding whiny (“Am I letting out the heat or am I letting all the cold air in?”).

Side B, is even better. “Cool Pool Keg Toss Pete,” is my personal favorite (it’s already made it’s way to a mix tape). Every time I hear it I think it should be in one of those party movies where lots of ridiculous stuff happens, yet, in the end everyone learns a bunch of really important stuff and is a better person for it. On one level the song is about one of those ridiculous parties, “Do a dance you’ll regret in the morning, do flips off the diving board with your clothes on…I’m glad you have a pool because we’re going to need somewhere to throw the empty keg and store our lawn chairs.” On another level the song is the acknowledgement that life could be completely different somewhere else, that the world is bigger than your friends and hometown. A friend comes back from spending a year abroad and the lyricist wonders, “Are things like this in Germany? The parties? Everything?” The vocals are propelled by fantastic guitar work, humming, building, and coming to a crescendo at the song’s conclusion.

Everyone Everywhere has their shit together. They are tight and inventive, every song memorable in both melody and technique. There is no weak link in A Lot of Weird People Standing Around, it’s a well constructed record that expresses both the wonder and confusion of growing up and living as a twenty-something in suburban America. It is reminiscent of Nothing Feels Good era Promise Ring, yet isn’t a carbon copy, presenting Everyone Everywhere as a band capable of getting nostalgic about the past, looking forward to the future, and spending the meantime partying, having fun, and writing great music.