“Year of the Waitress”
from the album Double Dutch
2005
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It’s no secret that 2005 was a pretty tough year for Louisiana. The damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been well documented in the media, and the state is certain to feel the repercussions of the brutal storms for years to come.
However, if one takes the time to look for it, you can generally find a silver lining in even the darkest of times, and Louisiana’s silver lining for 2005 just might be Double Dutch, the full-length debut album by Baton Rouge’s the Eames Era. (The band’s name is a reference to the famous furniture-designing husband and wife Charles and Ray Eames).
Double Dutch, released last fall to a fair amount of buzz and glowing reviews from anyone who heard it, doesn’t really break any new ground in terms of ideas or sound, but what it does is demonstrate how well this band plays music together, how much fun it has doing it and, most of all, how much potential the musicians have to do so much more.
Songs like “Talk Talk,” “Listen for the Sun” and “Go to Sleep” are instantly likable, revealing not just shimmering melodies but musical nuance with repeated listens. “Year of the Waitress” just might be the best song that you didn’t hear last year.
You’d think it would be easy for a band to sit back and enjoy the success of releasing a stellar debut record, but the Eames Era isn’t like every other band
“It’s a bit more polished than what people will hear if they see us in person,” says bassist Brian Waits of the debut. “We’re working on new material right now that’s a little more raw and captures what we do live a little better.”
While considering Double Dutch anything close to a disappointment would be flat-out wrong, Waits is completely right when he says the album doesn’t quite capture the brilliance of the Eames Era live. “It’s fun for us to play the music,” Waits said of the ability to put on a great show for the smallest of audiences. “We want everyone to have a good time too, but we don’t worry too much about how many people are there. We just have a good time.”
Just days before Double Dutch was released last fall and the band was to set out on a tour in support of it, the band’s van was involved in an accident with a military vehicle that was part of the relief effort taking place in southeastern Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
While none of the band members were critically injured, guitarist Ted Joyner required surgery for the broken arm he suffered in the collision and lead singer Ashlin Phillips needed stitches to close a nasty cut on her face.
The band proved resilient, though, and finally hit the road in support of Double Dutch, completing a three-week tour last month. Of course, anybody that gets a chance to see the Eames Era live is generally left drawing comparisons to the exceptionally popular country-tinged Los Angeles-based indie outfit Rilo Kiley. When your band is made up of a four guys and a pretty redheaded female lead singer, these things are bound to happen.
Waits doesn’t really see the resemblance in the music, but doesn’t mind the comparison.
“I think if you listen to our music, you won’t hear a lot in common with Rilo Kiley except for maybe Ashlin’s voice,” Waits said. “But they’re certainly a great band and we’re honestly kind of flattered by it. They’re huge.”
Don’t be surprised if in time the Eames Era is, too.