antiMusic.com: Everlit - Renovate Review

Everlit - Renovate

by Kevin Wierzbicki

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Album titles can be cutesy or cryptic, nonsensical or meaningful, and it is the latter category into which Renovate, the new EP from Philadelphia-based rock band Everlit falls. Over a relatively short span of time, singer Ryan Panfil and his brother Jordan disbanded Willpowerless, the successful Everlit predecessor, then they tweaked their sound and their way of thinking, rejiggered the band line-up and emerged with the new name Everlit; a virtual head-to-toe renovation. It's cool to know that about the band, but this is rock and roll and all you really need to do to figure them out is to turn it on and play it loud. First single "Break Away" has been rocking the airwaves for a month or so now and it typifies the band's sound: Melodic, guitar-driven hard rock with a bit of a head bang bounce to it, with a hook-filled chorus that demands listener participation. "Black Out" rocks with a woozy heaviness and many will associate the sound and song title with what happens when excessive partying is indulged in, but the song is actually about trying to score with a femme fatale. "A Phoenix Will Rise" and "Square One" are strong potential singles candidates as is the effort's closer, the scathing indictment of phony emotions and lies that is "Fake." The song has moments where Panfil sings with such (uncharacteristic) rage that you can almost see the veins popping in his neck. Five solid songs in total here and it all kind of makes you wish that a lot of other bands would do some serious remodeling too.

Purchase Renovate here.

Everlit - Renovate
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