I judged this album before I listened to it. “An album almost fifteen years in the making”, is either going to be totally epic, or terribly, terribly disappointing (Chinese Democracy, anyone?). In reality, The Easthills‘ Death of A Salesman falls somewhere comfortably in between. It’s easy to listen to, yet forgettable.

The band’s vocalists, songwriters and guitarists, Will Barada and Hank Campbell, met and began making music in 1997, and their debut release sounds squarely stuck there. It’s nothing you haven’t heard before, if you were listening to music in the late 90s.

Barada and Campbell’s complimentary, synchronous vocals carry the album. They really shine on “Jupiter” and “My Morning Highway”, two of the album’s more interesting tracks. I also enjoyed the blip of comparative complexity in “Broken Indian Anthem”, probably my favorite offering.

Death Of A Salesman is not a bad album. In addition to stellar vocals, their lyrics, crafted with forethought and at times humorous, add intrigue to otherwise (at times) cliche guitar riffs. Hopefully, the band won’t wait fifteen more years for the followup. If their sophomore attempt builds on the high points of Death Of A Salesman, then The Easthills deserve another look.

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