Black Eyes - Black Eyes LP

Black Eyes self-titled debut displays a band with a hold on the experimental side of D.C. punk -- a path paved by Fugazi and, particularly in this case, Q and Not U. This five-piece band takes dub, bass-driven grooves, and kooky vocals of the Liars and Q and Not U's off-kilter dance punk and plays them grittier, from the violent narrative of "Someone Has His Fingers Broken" to the oblique sexual politics of "A Pack of Wolves." But Black Eyes, despite an unstoppable cacophony on insane songs like the Queen-on-caffeine "King's Dominion" and the spazzy "Day Turns to Night," never really have the terse drive of Fugazi or the accessible hooks of Q and Not U. This album will have to remain the mark of a band's crazy potential and perhaps a warning siren of what is to come. -All Music Guide