Here at Dying Scene, we’ve been talking a lot behind the scenes about how to maximize our content—not only covering more, but covering better. We’ll be making some changes to our output in the coming months, and the end goal will be to provide our writers with more opportunities to write in-depth reviews, editorials, and interviews. Part of this is adapting our review format—there is simply too much out there to cover and full-length reviews just aren’t time effective. That doesn’t mean we’re getting rid of longform reviews (we’d rather die), only that when we do them, we’ll be investing more in them and treating them as we would a feature. For the rest, we want to cover the multitude of bands that are working hard out there but might get squashed under the great wheel of the album submissions game. Short-form reviews—as short and loud as punk itself—will be a way for us to cover more while still providing honest, dependable feedback. Let us know what you think of the new format, we plan to roll out capsule reviews as they accumulate from here on out.
In Portland’s burgeoning and thriving emo scene, Slippery Eyes is a relatively new band. Take Care, Be Well is their first EP and on it, they craft four songs of tasteful and hypnotic emo. It’s at once sparse and intricate, a mellow meditation with personal lyrics and some instantly memorable melodies. The marvel of this EP is how quickly it manages to catch the listener—lyrics, melodies, and arrangements working in mesmeric tandem. It’s all led by the honey-coated vocals of Cai, at once soothing and emotive. Take Care, Be Well leaves the listener wanting for more.
Check out: “Cut Your Conversation,” “Summer of ‘62”