By: Jay Broderick - In the mid-1980s, a band named Eye-Eye emerged from the Toronto music scene, and they immediately turned heads, and opened up ears. Having won local radio station Q107's Homegrown Talent Search, and garnering nominations for Juno and CASBY awards, Eye-Eye is back after 35 years with a brand new song!
Formed in 1983, Eye-Eye released their first album Just in Time to be Late in 1986, that included the hit singles "Out on a Limb" and "X-Ray Eyes". The band's style of rock melded perfectly with the "new wave" sound that was exploding during that time, and the singles charted reaching as high as #51. Unfortunately, the band's second album Common Ground did not achieve the same commercial success as their debut, and they subsequently broke up.
Fast forward 35 years, and original members Andy Ryan (guitars) and Bill Wood (vocals) are back, with a completely new sound. “There was no purposeful resurrection.” Andy admits. But after coming together and playing a few live shows "“It reignited our friendship.”
The friends have in fact recently released 2 new tracks "Lucky to Find You" (2022) and "Blue Honeymoon" (2024). These tracks are reworkings of songs the band had in their vault, but this new offering is a newly written track "and it feels very special an exciting" says singer Bill Wood.
"Full Cement Luxury" starts off with a slow, bluesy, country rock guitar that immediately puts you in a nostalgic mood. The mood hits even harder once Wood's vocals come in at the 15 second mark, where he begins to tell the tale of a forlorn woman living on the Vegas Strip, seeking stardom in "Full Cement Luxury".
This newest offering from Eye-Eye is a far cry from their 1980s synth. style music. The guitar work has such a great feel. Despite the slow tempo, there is a ton of groove. The rhythm is smooth, and you just want to close your eyes and listen. Wood's raspy, smokey vocals are such a perfect accompaniment, that if you don't get that chill when you hear a great song that makes you "feel", then perhaps the weight of life hasn't quite weighed on you enough.
With age, comes a different approach. We tend to do things for ourselves. The way we want to do them. And the excitement is that we do what we want. With Eye-Eye's most recent track, Andy Ryan and Bill Wood seem to have rekindled a different kind of magic... and personally, I LOVE IT!!
"Full Cement Luxury" will be available on all streaming sites on December 16, 2024
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