Evarose
02 Academy, Oxford
29 October 2010

Having attended a few over the years, it’s fair to say that album launch parties can be cringe-worthy events. Giving bands a false sense of popularity, these gigs are usually populated with every family member within fifty miles of the venue following which said band head off into the mercy of the real world never to play to an audience of more than 8 people ever again. Tonight though, something feels different, very different.

Maybe it is the fact that Oxford punk rockers Evarose seem to be going about everything the right way as leaving the venue tonight it felt like you’d seen something special. For a start the quartet had pulled more than a few paying punters in tonight who they made sure got a copy of their debut EP – clever move. Taking to the stage to an audience comparable in size to that of the recent Circa Survive show in the same venue, Evarose may only be seven shows into their career but on the evidence of this short showcase set, they’re set for a bright future. With a bunch of catchy tunes under their belts, while there is no doubt that there is still a bit of tightening up to do here and there, these four girls should be applauded for what they’ve achieved in such a short time.

On stage for little over forty minutes, the set ends with the hugely infectious pop-punk anthem We Can Pretend, a song that is already causing rumbles of interest throughout rock media circles. As their EP highlights, it’s just one of a number of cracking tunes these girls have in their armoury which, coupled with the hard work they’re already putting into the band, should see them well for the future.

Review by Graham Finney