Evander is a band that most of you have probably never heard of. That should change now. A melodic hardcore band straight out of Massachusetts, Evander is full of promise and potential. “The Reservoir EP” is their first release and while it does not bring anything new to the table, it certainly does give you a second helping of your favorite dish.The first track, aptly titled “Intro”, is annoying because it’s a compilation of sound clips with an instrumental under layer that total up to a minute and a half. It’s not the best choice for an intro, but then again any sound clips rarely are. What’s even worse is that the clip is longer or close to be being longer than three of the other songs.Don’t be discouraged by the lengthy sound clip though. The next track “Reckless Venture” comes in with a bass and drum intro and as soon as the vocals hit me I immediately think of a heavier Touché Amoré. This song is relatively short but sums up what this EP is going to hit you with. There are fast paced parts that make you want to throw down, vocals that can make your hairs stand up, and melodic slower parts that bring tears to your eyes.The next song up is “Misery Loves Company” and it is my favorite off of the EP. It comes in with a slow intro but quickly picks up. The vocals are beautiful, especially when the vocalist belts out “I am not the same as you. I can’t be the one you want me to.” The instrumentation is top notch as well. The melodic leads are perfect.“Lost” is a great example of the slow but heart wrenching pieces this band can do. Once again, I am strongly reminded of Touché Amoré here and that is definitely not a bad thing. The next three tracks are just as good as the rest. Chock full of melodic parts and heavy hitting angry parts just make you want to go nuts at a live show.The final track, Reservoir Park, did catch me a little off guard, but after Defeater’s now iconic acoustics on “Empty Days & Sleepless Nights” it was not a total shock. The vocals were a bit iffy with me at first listen but they grow on you the more you listen to it. The lyrics are poetic and the chorus is something you just want to sing your heart out to. The telephone beeps at the end, even though it was a good idea, seem a bit off and out of place. Not to mention they’re slightly irritating.I was very impressed with “The Reservoir” on my first listen, but each time I listened to it after I found something else that made me love it more. I would strongly suggest this to anyone who enjoys Defeater or Touché Amoré. I really hope to see a full length in the future because this EP left me wanting more. 
Links: Facebook
Music
