Evanscapps The Last Time

Due to the sudden passing of Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist, I thought I would share a review of his Evanscapps cd, which came out a few years ago. It was a project he shared with Bobby Capps of .38 Special.

EvansCapps - THE LAST TIME


Evanscapps
THE LAST TIME

I love it when a release comes my way, where literally every song on the release is good. Such is the case from a somewhat unknown band called Evanscapps. With no label support, they created a gem titled THE LAST TIME. To best categorize the sound that Evanscapps produces, imagine the buzz like sound of Alice in Chains with someone like Scott Weiland singing. The end result is a sound consisting of raw, crunchy riffs, heavy rhythms, and singing that has a “take no prisoners” approach.

THE LAST TIME starts off with the blistering “Hell If I Know”. The music comes at you full throttle. Mix in the catchy lyrics and you have a recipe for a song that may land you a speeding ticket.

There are a number of songs on here that have a lot of good heavy grooves. A few of which are “Dead Is Rising”, the swaggering “Follow the Morning Sun” and “Walk” At times, the singer fires off lines fast paced – much in the way of how Kid Rock does it. Especially, on “Walk” and “Mississippi”. “Mississippi” also has a Rage Against the Machine sounding rhythm to it. The guitar hook on “Walk” will grab your attention with the Alice in Chains feel it provokes for those few seconds.

Evanscapps can slow it down a notch or two as well. On these songs, they are still “in your face” – just tuned down a notch. Such is the case with the moody “Innocence” and the atmospheric “Stand or Fall”. On “For Somethin’ or Nothin’”, the tempo is slowed down a bit and hits you with a punch when the verses come around. This song sounds like it could be a big commercial radio hit.

The singer employs the use of a voice box throughout the disc and this is where the Scott Weiland reference comes in. That’s something that Weiland employs frequently and it works well for this singer as well. The style of singing is also mixed up on THE LAST TIME – no two songs sound alike. The lyrical content is perfect for each song with well thought provoking lyrics that really convey the mood of the music. Some slick guitar playing is featured throughout the entire disc. Imagine a chained up/drool-dripping dog that’s just been unleashed and that paints a picture of the guitar frenzy that spews out of the speakers. Crunchy rhythms and leads that are dead on and not overdone are abundant. Mix that with the singing and everything comes out sounding fresh, original, and unique.

So now you’re probably wondering “Who are these guys?” Grab a chair and sit down. Here’s the surprise. At the beginning of the review, I put “somewhat unknown band”. Well, the fact is that they are pretty well known members of their respective “other” bands - .38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Bobby Capps steps out from behind the keyboards, as a member of .38 Special, to provide the singing duties. Laying down his bass from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ean Evans picks up his guitar and whips his lead guitar playing into a sonic assault on the ears. Both Bobby and Ean are the driving force behind Evanscapps. Combined, they share a common bond of enjoying all styles of music. They are still very dedicated to their respective bands and those bands are their main priority. For the time being, Evanscapps is a side project that provides an avenue for their creative outlets. In this case, showcasing the side of them that loves heavy music. They also enlisted a few other well-known musicians to help out with the project. Todd Harrell (3 Doors Down), Rickey Medlocke (Lynyrd Sknyrd, Blackfoot), and Todde Lawton (Toby Mac) all contributed to the recording of THE LAST TIME.

I’m hearing at least 5 or 6 radio hits on here. If THE LAST TIME gets the exposure of say a Velvet Revolver, look out because this thing will take off. The reason I say Velvet Revolver is because that song for song, THE LAST TIME has a certain freshness to it much like Velvet Revolver – only better. It’s all about the songs and there are 11 great ones on here!

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to www.evanscapps.com and pick yourself up a copy of THE LAST TIME. For those that like regular mail, I’ve listed that information below as well. Trust me – you won’t be disappointed. Now I know a lot of you are probably thinking, “this writer is really sucking up and not critiquing it.” I would think the same thing myself if I was reading this. Just to clarify – I’m not blowing smoke. THE LAST TIME is a refreshing oasis in the middle of a scorched desert of music mediocrity. There really is nothing on here that I didn’t like. When the dust settles from this year’s onslaught of new releases, this one will fall into a few top 10 lists. Great release!