The Exies
Head For The Door
Virgin
With their third album, Head For The Door, The Exies take a more raw, harder-edged sound than demonstrated on their previous effort, Inertia. Hooking up with producer Nick Raskuliecz has toughened up the band’s approach, and it’s clearly evident on the hard-hitting opening duo of “Slow Drain” and “Splinter.” Both songs really set the tone for the rest of the album. The melodic strains of “Tired of You” aside, there’s a real low-down, grungy scuzz to the album, with the likes of the belting “My Opinion” and “Ugly” particularly impressive. Vocalist Scott Stevens’s raspy delivery recalls Kurt Cobain, especially on the pre-chorus to “Dear Enemy” and the frantic “You Get What You Deserve.”
Head For The Door needs a few listens to really appreciate its nuances, but The Exies’ attempts to get back to basics seem to have paid off, with an album made totally on their own terms.
