Funny the things that run through your head as you listen to music. Things like Vincent Price horror movies, Sunday dinner steak pies and why excessive cheese consumption is bad for your health. What images then did “The Story” by Infinitive Eve conjure up in my 9 to 5 oppressed brain?
Oddly enough, I kept thinking about musicals – and Broadway style musicals at that – as my ears absorbed the five songs that make up this mini album. Sure enough, the sound is the, currently fashionable, retro rock yet there is a difference here with that difference being the story. Now, a story is hardly unusual as your rock gets harder but “The Story” is pleasingly free from the usual namechecking of the Devil or the invocation of some sort of serpent recently dispatched from Hell to swallow up what is left of a band’s self-respect.
Where was I? Oh, the story. Helped along by Eve Naylor hitting it like an aspiring actress at an audition for a career advancing role, this band’s particular blend of rock riffing, energetic drumming and retro syth seasoning easily keeps the pace up yet, with the true dramatic intent of a bleak back story, your mind is drawn from the descending chord sequences and casual guitar solos and into some dark fairy tale playground where reality is reflected by a broken mirror straight back into her crying eyes.
So there you have it. Infinite Eve have a story arc that strays into rather more realistic territory than genre fans might expect and, whilst always sounding conventional, their message ends up being ultimately inspirational which is, as always, a good thing. Like I said, these songs could easily be turned into a modern day musical.
Oh Ursula, pass me another spider.