Review Summary: The sexy Rodriguez twins try to pull a fast one on us.
In the past year or so Eyes Set To Kill has made some frequent lineup changes. First their long time male vocalist Brandon Anderson left, only to be replaced very shortly for a year by Justin Denson. After that another vocalist was brought on board, only to have his vocals featured briefly on their new album. If
White Lotus is looked at from a quality standpoint, it could stand on its own merit, because it’s well crafted. The songs, while sometimes lacking the heavier instrumentation they previously had, are still catchy and flow really well. Still the album itself doesn’t make sense. While we have 10 tracks here, two of them are covers, ones an acoustic version and one happens to be a minute and a half long filler track. If my math is correct that leaves six songs left. Not only does White Lotus clock in at ESTK’s shortest album, but it also seems like these could have been b-sides from previous albums that would’ve been better fit on an EP.
The composition of
White Lotus is literally almost half post hardcore and half acoustic. Seemingly it might have been the absence of Brandon Anderson that made for so much influence from the twins, but the acoustic songs aren’t any less enjoyable because of that. The Rodriguez twins seem to have developed as singers, meaning their voices aren’t as pitchy and annoying as in times past. The first half of the album is filled most with the typical ESTK sound, with “The Secrets Between” showcasing chugging metalcore riffs, Cisko’s growls mixed with Alexia and Anissa’s sugary pop vocals. Cisko’s work on this album is sparse, but on “Erasing Everything” he’s able to give a sample of his worth. The rest of the songs on the album are entirely dominated by the sisters. “Stuck Underneath” and “Untitled” are two of the songs sung only by the girls, and it shows that they’ve lost the pitch and annoyance that sometimes made past ESTK albums painful to sit through. In addition to the lack of original content we have two cover songs, “Polly” by Nirvana and “Doll Parts” by Hole; apparently these girls must’ve been grunge fans. “Polly” is a decent representation, while “Doll Parts” has its own scream induced ending courtesy of Alexia.
In the big picture there is no problem with
White Lotus aside from the fact that the songs here would’ve been more suited for a b-sides style EP or album. The songs are short, a lot of them are acoustic cuts and there is a serious lack of screaming and growling. However what the album lacks in traditional elements it gains in charm and the respect for the twins developing talents. It’s a short, concise and fun listen for those who have been fans of the band in the past. Those who aren’t fans should be sure to check this out because while it’s easily their most removed from the genre, it’s almost their most accessible.
