NEW ALBUMS
THE NEW EVES
The New Eve Is Rising TRANSGRESSIVE 7/10
Herstories and sonics cohere in their “hagstone rock” debut.
By Sharon O’Connell
The New Eves (l-r): Kate Mager, Ella Russell, Violet Farrer, Nina Winder-Lind
KATIE SILVESTER
DISCLOSURE, self-affirmation and avowal may be the presentation currencies of our time – mystique now seems so very 20th century – but still, it takes courage and conviction for a young band to state their case from the get-go. All the more so if it’s a group of women, who could risk accusations of bad faith and superficiality should they choose to develop their artistry or change their image.
If they’ve considered it at all, none of this bothers Brighton four-piece The New Eves, who came together via a regular meet-up of creative women held in the early days after lockdown. Their name is an unambiguous wresting of power from the most enduring of female archetypes, while the title of their debut album packs a note of forewarning in its defiance. They’re hardly the first UK band nourished by community and eager to recast gender roles; but unlike, say, Goat Girl, Dream Wife, Big Joanie, Charmpit or Dream Nails, punk is not The New Eves’ bedrock. Patti Smith is clearly a touchstone but Swedish folk, post-punk, kosmische, art skronk and even musical theatre are in the mix too, with violin, cello and flute augmenting the usual guitar/bass/drums. Also, rather than directly reflecting personal experience, their songs borrow from mythology, folklore (both centuries-old and contemporary) and neo- Romantic poetry to present their definition of “womanhood”, air their sense of wonder at the cosmos and consider their place in it.