Album Reviews

- by Tom Dumarey

After Screeching Weasel called it a day, John ‘Jughead’ Pierson started Even In Blackouts back in 2002. They played pop-punk tunes but contrary to his previous band, Even In Blackouts was an all-acoustic affair. Hence the name… they could play even in blackouts. They released a very enjoyable debut with ‘Myths & Imaginary Magicians’ and then went on to record three more albums before calling it quits in 2009.

The band’s favorite songs are new getting a new lease on life thanks to Stardumb Records, who released a compilation album called ‘The Princess Foretold By Her Henchmen, Even’. Normally I’m not the biggest fan of punkrockers gone acoustic, because more often than not it just doesn’t sound as good (yeah Face To Face, I’m looking at you!). But there’s no faulting cuts like ‘Missing Manifesto’, ‘If Leaving Were To Be So Easy’ and ‘In A Letter Never Sent’. All of which capture all of the energy of punk in deliciously catchy songs that are lifted to an even higher level thanks to the powerful vocals of Lizzie Eldredge.  

Somewhere down the line, they let go of their acoustic inclinations and went all out (‘I Took A Weight Off’, ‘He’s Alone Again Lost In His Room’) or swing meets country (‘Skeleton Dance’) and… well, hokey (‘How Do You Kill A Ghost’). All of which leads to a slightly uneven compilation. It’s still worth your time though. Especially if you manage to snag up a copy of the limited clear as glass vinyl!

Track listing:

1. Missing Manifesto
2. If Leaving Were To Be So Easy
3. Summer Comes
4. In A Letter Never Sent (featuring Dan Vapid)
5. We’re So Tough
6. The Writer
7. Heaven
8. Darkest Days
9. Skeleton Dance
10. Gone
11. I Took A Weight Off
12. Romantically Inclined
13. He’s Alone Again Lost In His Room
14. How Do You Kill A Ghost
15. Motives Misunderstood in the Key of C
16. Catacombs