With the resurgence and return of Shoegaze giants like My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Swervedriver, it’s not surprising that contemporary bands following a similar sonic arc are enjoying a little added attention as a result. Brooklyn-based Lazyeyes has only emerged from the New York scene over the past four years, but the band has amassed a serious following with two EPs, a pair of singles and a lot of local and regional gigging, all of which highlight the trio’s Strokes-like Garage Pop swing, Shoegaze intensity and Dream Pop melodicism.
After less than a year honing its sound in the live context, Lazyeyes — guitarist/vocalist Jason Abrishami, bassist Paul Volpe and drummer Jeremy Sampson — self-released an eponymous debut EP in early 2013 and was cited by The Deli Magazine as NYC’s best Psych/Shoegaze band. Similar accolades poured in from underground music bloggers, and tracks from the EP were quickly playlisted by FM stations around the world, including Sirius XM and BBC Radio. The band’s latest EP, New Year, was self-released in January and quickly sold out. It was then reissued through Weiner Records on cassette and again promptly sold out (it’s still available as a digital download at lazyeyesbk.bandcamp.com). Lazyeyes’ Facebook page recently revealed photos taken in the studio during sessions for the group’s imminent full-length debut. If it’s anything like the posted material so far, it can’t come soon enough.
Lazyeyes has drawn favorable comparisons to the aforementioned Ride and Swervedriver, largely due to the trio’s propensity for loud and fuzzily melodic hooks and riffs, but the band has also been held up to the likes of Stone Roses and Sonic Youth, the former because of its ringing guitar tone and the latter for its inherent ability to create and effectively harness chaos. The Smiths, Interpol, Circa Waves and Bloc Party have been mentioned as comparisons as well, but regardless of the Rock memes attached to its sound, that buzzy ringing in your head after the show belongs to no one except Lazyeyes.
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