Posted on 13 August 2010.
Loose Lips Sink Ships/Victor Villarreal
“Eating Happens” 7-inch
Score: 7.1/10
Loose Lips Sink Ships and Victor Villarreal don’t seem to share much in common. At least on the surface. But on a deeper level, the two were made for each other. One is a math rock quartet comprised of 20-somethings from DeKalb, Illinois, still establishing its name on the Midwestern music scene. The other is a pivotal piece of two of Chicago’s most influential punk bands still establishing a name for himself as a solo artist.
The two sides originally came together July of last year during a show in DeKalb, which Loose Lips headlined and Villarreal opened. It was Villarreal’s first show in some seven years, and his first as a solo musician. From there, a partnership, and more importantly, a friendship, was formed. Together, the two separate, yet similar entities, have produced “Eating Happens,” a new split 7-inch released on Whaleplane Records, and soon to be distributed by bigger labels Jade Tree, Polyvinyl and Robotic Empire.
The first song, “Sarah Palin’s Parasailing,” belongs to Loose Lips, and it’s about what you’d expect from the guys – heavy-hitting guitars, intricate timing patterns, spacey breakdowns midway through the track. New ground isn’t exactly broken with the song, but there is no need for that. Not yet. The lot of Loose Lips’ output has been good, even great, and with room to grow and a sound that works – especially in a concert setting – these may be the guys to watch in the coming years.
Villarreal’s contribution, the tongue-twistingly titled “Prophesying Hypothesis,” builds off the 10 songs he compiled for his first record with positive results. Much of the “Alive” LP showed promise, combining intricate guitar melodies and, for the first time in his career, vocals, but the sketchy lyrics bogged it down. That is to be expected with someone who is more used to writing riffs than stanzas, however. Regardless, the lyrics on the new track don’t slack and show improvement from his last effort. “Out of beneath unsorted view/Was pictures to a song without the value/Draw away the drapes and show us why/You can’t have one without the other.”
“Eating Happens” is a solid, if brief, showcase of the potential put forth by these two artists – one still getting its proverbial feet wet in the music biz, the other still finding his way back to it. Though just a taste of what’s to come from both, this 7-inch is more than enough to keep the appetite for more thoroughly whetted. -Derek Walker
Purchase “Eating Happens” HERE.
Visit Loose Lips Sink Ships HERE.
Visit Victor Villarreal HERE.
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Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
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