Review Summary: I've always thought myself an honest simple man, doing all I can to keep a level head
There comes a time in everyone’s life when you need to take a breather and look at what you have, revaluate where you are and where you are going. ‘Morning Light’ delivers on this and the message that moving on and leaving things behind can be ok.
Evan Pharmakis is the man behind ‘Wind in Sails’ the former Guitarist/Clean Vocalist for Post-Hardcore old heads ‘Vanna’ and current Guitarist/Clean Vocalist for ‘InSpirit’. His guitar work on the early 'Vanna' releases has some great parts and his vocals only improved with each release. 'Vanna’s' ‘A New Hope’ being one of my favorite releases from 2009 and his melodies being a big reason for this. If you are familiar with Evan’s previous work, ‘Wind In Sails’ may come across as a poor man’s attempt at ‘City and Colour’ and if you came to this conclusion, you would in fact be very, very wrong.
Whilst the singer/songwriter genre can fall into the shallow holes of love/break up songs and the repeated use of Am, G and C chords – Evan escapes this by his mix of retrospective and honest lyricism and nifty guitar playing throughout. Lyrically, ‘Level Head’ comes across as a standard break up song but actually is more of a reflection on oneself and if you are truly content with who you are. ‘Lucid State’ being a clever take on Sleep Paralysis and ‘Hanging Over You’ containing some of my favorite lines on the release:
‘I can't seem to mend my faults and find a way to bring this all back together, It's hard not to drown my thoughts and keep myself afloat through this stormy weather’
Musically, the album is for the most part just Evans voice and guitar with a backing band on some tracks ‘The Mess We’re In’ being a nice track that uses the full band. Evan is a nice and clever guitarist, his lead work on the ‘Vanna’ releases were some of my favorites from that time and his guitar work here, be it simple has some nice runs and licks throughout. His vocals are the standout aspect, and he really uses them well. Never straining too hard or to low he knows exactly what his range is and he stays there. Whilst his earlier vocal work came across as quite ‘nasally’ at times he now has a much more refined voice and really, is a underrated vocalist.
‘Morning Light’ is a nice release that is easy to pass over if you aren’t a fan of Evan’s previous work. Whilst it isn’t going to redefine anyone’s opinions on the ‘Singer/Songwriter’ genre it does however showcase someone who is at the top of the game and know their abilities perfectly. Sit back, have a couple beers, wines, whiskeys, waters, joints, lines- whatever your poison is and give this album a spin because it works well late at night, when you are sitting around at home contemplating life and why the *** you are even here.
Standout Tracks:
Level Head
Push and Shove
Lucid State
