If you tire of music that sounds like it was birthed out of some mass-market factory, then you’ll like – no you’ll adore – Everfound. The indie pop-rock band goes far beyond uttering silly love songs set to a soundtrack of commercial clutter. They’ve created deep, contemplative and interesting music that relates to everyday living.
And what is even more amazing is that all of this is produced by a young band. But this isn’t some fabricated boy band and they definitely aren’t the neighborhood garage band. With more than 150 performances in 2008, they’re quickly becoming seasoned performers.
No one writes their music for them. It’s all birthed in the family living room, gathered around an out of tune piano that gets a nightly makeover from a skilled craftsman. Forced out of Russia by religious and political persecution a decade ago, the Odnoralov family found a home in Colorado.
They’ve adapted. They’ve grown. They’ve learned. Now they’re inviting us to walk with them on their journey.
The piano-driven melodies are simply subtle. But don’t be fooled. In an instant the ambling brings you to a precipice – and then lets you fall head long into the music. The band accomplishes what few others do – music that lasts beyond the play button. The tunes will repeat in your head for hours and the lyrics might become a soundtrack to your daily life.
Listen to first strands of “Streetlights” and you’ll realize that something is different. The eldest member of the bunch is Ruslan, and he hammers the piano like he’s played for decades, transforming it into an orchestra of sound. His younger brother Nikita, who handles all the vocals, is just 18. But his voice is sweetly smooth and yet raw and epic. You’ll be amazed at the high notes he can hit. “Anxious to go,” he sings. “My feet standing still/Minutes are slow/Wearing my patience thin.” The song is reflective of the maturation process the members of the band are going through, as they define their sound, their lives and their direction.
“We have a deep yearning to ask the questions before we rush to the answers,” said Nikita. “We want our music to reflect the ragged edges of our times.”
Ruslan also follows the same sort of inner reflection that is refreshing in a world that is quick to inform and quicker yet to judge. “Life is about faith. And faith is an adventure in mystery,” he said.
The song you might never forget is “Bring me Back.” At first you’ll be drawn along by the simple melody. But then you’ll be left dangling in suspense, only to be pulled back up the transitional drum work of Yan. And not to be left behind is the innovative bass of Larry. Nikita closes the song with some vocals that literally will send a chill down your spine.
“We want to renew a call to passion,” said Ruslan. “Life must be lived with purpose and excitement. Otherwise, you merely exist.” And that living is shown in their music that is never the same from song to song. Each has an ebb and flow – moments of toe-tapping only to swing to a movement of the soul.
For example, listen to “Let Me Out.” The song features Ruslan’s rapturous work on a Hammond B-3 organ that sounds retro, yet is thoroughly modern in the age of keyboard-driven bands like Coldplay, The Fray and The Killers. But these lyrics are not radio pop pabulum. “Pockets full of stone/ we are all afraid/living in glass homes/hopeless, weak, betrayed.” This anguishing call for release could be the alcoholic’s plea, or the addict’s cry. It could also be the hope of a wayward youth or a displaced senior. It could be you. There’s no single answer found in this song, but if you listen hard enough, you might just begin to ask the question that leads you out.
Thankfully, there’s not a profane moment lurking in any of these lyrics. Pure longings and anxious moments emerge unexpectedly. Truth shines unashamedly – but it often comes from the listener and not the musician.
Repeat listens to this music leads the listener to exclaim, “No Way.”
No way are that that young.
No way are they that contemplative.
No way are that that skilled.
But they are. So hold on. Get ready to be challenged. Get ready to be entertained. Get ready to be moved.
David Rupert
RedLetterBelievers.com
| 
