Spun: The Waking Eyes

By Peter Hemminger

The Waking Eyes’ new album, Holding On To Whatever It Is, is about as catchy as the plague. But like one of the deadliest pandemics in history, an infectious nature isn’t always a good thing.


Most of the songs have contagious hooks but are painfully static, lacking any progression or instrumental depth. What makes this lackluster album inexcusable is that the Waking Eyes are capable of making good music. The choice of “All Empires Fall” as the first single is rather surprising. Not only is it one of the boring tracks on the album, it’s the audio equivalent of stagnant, scummy pond water.


The only attempt to add spice to the music is an ill-advised use of synth­­. It’s down right tacky in “Boyz and Girlz” and utterly annoying in “Trouble on the Patio.” If the Waking Eyes stopped being lazy music writers and further developed songs like “Keeps Me Coming Back” or integrated more of the interesting percussion found in “Get Me to the Doctor,” they might be able to make an album worth listening to.