The End Of the World

French Exit (Flameshovel/ Pretty Activity)

By Erica Phillips
Published: November 6th, 2008 | 9:00am

The End Of the World’s first album, You’re Making It Come Alive, has been described as heavily punk-influenced, garage-raw, and “without much flash.” Though their roots may be punk (after all, they did record and produce all 11 tracks on the new release), French Exit presents strong influences from Americana, power pop, and even funk. The swoopy vocals of Stefan Marolachakis and the electric guitar compositions of Benjamin Smith define the End Of the World’s sound at its most elemental, but French Exit brings in bassist Sam Axelrod, the pedal steel stylings of Mike Incze, and even some harmonica, piano, and synth. For these DIY-ers, the instrumental diversity alone is well worth a listen — or 20.

The 11-song set kicks off with “Born To Rage,” a Killers-style, dramatically strummed rock number that sticks to the ribs and practically yearns to be heard live. This track’s power pop drama and undeniable call to head-bounce is echoed later on in “Railroad Living,” “Kate’s Dream,” and “Hawks." But aside from these would-be radio singles, the End Of the World explores richly eclectic new territory: “Favorite Time Of Year” begins with a funky piano ditty leading into a charming ‘60s-style anthem, complete with backup “wa-ooh”s and pedal steel solos; “Section House” starts as a fast and edgy punk throwback with unrelenting cymbal crashing, then morphs halfway through into a lilting ballad accompanied by tinkling tambourine.

French Exit hints at a rich future for TEOTW, particularly on “Learning” — the most instrumentally complex number — above which Marolachakis’ voice resonates with a power akin to Jeff Tweedy’s in Wilco’s “Radio Cure.” The vocal similarity between the two is palpable, though Marolachakis, Smith, and company may need to work on cultivating their scattered influences a bit more cleanly. Whereas Wilco presents a sound that feels concretely “placed” — in Chicago, in the present day — the boys of the End Of the World present the collective identity of distracted transplants, full of wonder in their new urban environment. On second thought, perhaps this is precisely the way a New York band should sound.

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