Evolver - Evolver Review
Posted by Dan Marsicano on 12.12.2011
Former Snot/Limp Bizkit guitarist Mike Smith has formed his own project, Evolver, which recently put out their self-titled debut album on iTunes. Does Smith prove to be a credible songwriter as well as a guitarist or does his pet project churn out the same-old rock/alt-metal?
The Band
Mike Smith- Vocals, Guitar
John Cummings- Lead Guitar
Keith Thompson- Bass
Anthony Grabowski- Drums
The Track Listing
1. Never Surrender (3:17)
2. Lush (4:12)
3. Headshot (4:37)
4. Our Last Goodbye (3:18)
5. An Offering (3:56)
6. Little Things (3:08)
7. Burned Again (3:25)
8. Broken Down (3:36)
9. Mr Talkshow (5:03)
10. Empty Promises (3:35)
11. Welcome To My World (3:10)
The Review
Mike Smith, the former guitarist for Snot and Limp Bizkit, has been spending the past few years getting his project Evolver off the ground-floor. Sticking to familiar hard rock/alt-metal surroundings, Evolver allows Smith to have stability and control over his music. What can be heard on the band’s self-titled debut is a musician passionate about his work, even if said work is a few years behind the times. It takes a bit to warm up to, but once that happens, the acoustic nuances and atmospheric touches feel suitable to the dark musical undertones.
Consistency can be hard to find on modern rock albums, where the preference for killer singles and filler deep cuts is just usual business. By comparison, Evolver gets better as it boils over the midway point. The best material is in the last third, where the acoustics take charge and open up the melodic possibilities. These qualities are prevalent on “Broken Down” and “Welcome To My World,” with the latter being a standard closing ballad that rises above mediocrity due to Smith’s inspired vocals.
The band is well-versed in the craft of maximizing power for efficiency. “Never Surrender” has a lone guitar strumming behind Smith’s voice before the rest of the band kicks in for an uplifting, energetic boost. It’s a good opener, though it’s outmatched by a few striking tunes later on. There’s a portion of the songs on the album situated in this vein of soft-to-heavy, always finding a way from the low-key into something big. “Headshot” is one of the more forceful songs to be put down, finished off by an ending with much impact behind it.
“Headshot” Live
“Empty Promises” take the acoustics and meshes it in with boisterous rock/alt-metal, encompassing an overall high point for the album. It’s not only catchy as hell, but a song that demands to be put on repeat. “Mr Talkshow” also tries out this blend, and though it has the atmosphere down, it doesn’t do much with its five-minute length. The band’s songwriting fits with best the three-and-a-half/four-minute mark the rest of the songs are situated in.
The other songs not mentioned above range in quality, but none of them are excruciating. “Little Things” is a finger-snapping, upbeat rocker that almost seems out-of-place in the context of the rest of Evolver. The bass guitar gets some space to groove on “Burned Again,” and Smith reaches from deep within to pull out a few soulful wails near the end.
Smith has stayed under the shadows for years, but makes a credible return with Evolver’s first album. It’s an album that may get lost in the shuffle, as many other bands have been sucked into with this over-saturated market. If that happens, it’s not because of the music itself. While not the type of record that will astound hardcore listeners of rock and alt-metal, the record shines from Smith’s charismatic performance and the band’s uncanny skills in making a song worth playing back.
The 411: Mike Smith has spent a long time being a guitarist for other projects, and Evolver is his opportunity to stake his own claim as a singer/songwriter. The hard rock/alt-metal sound is not too surprising considering Smith's background, but the abundance of melody built within the songs may surprise a few. Acoustic guitars are prevalent, especially on the second half, and really bode well for the material present. It's a grower, but Evolver's self-titled debut has enough memorable songs to be worth a purchase.
