The Will Evans Project @ The Belmont [Benefit for Grounded In Music]

Pairing good local music with a good local cause is a good way to increase support in the community for a project or event. That’s exactly what The Will Evans Project, a band who are no strangers to blending their music with a good cause, are doing for their CD release party Saturday at The Belmont. This eclectic Austin rock group who blend soul, blues and experimentalism into a sonically potent mix is releasing their debut studio full length, Planténga, with a portion of the evening’s proceeds benefiting Grounded in Music, which is a program bringing music education to kids. Opening the show is native Nigerian folk rocker Kalu James and the pop rock of Love at War.

For this new recording, The Will Evans Project - Will Evans (vox/guitar), Jason Pollan (guitar/effects), Jeff Hartsough (drums/sounds), John Olrech (bass/backing vox) - chose to travel to a studio Oregon and what they brought back with them is a sound that’s cohesive, rocking, improvised and even a little funky. You can definitely hear a hint of groups like the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the vocals and instrumentation, and their use of sound effects sporadically throughout does a lot to enhance the experience without taking away from the rock elements. Songs like the first track, “Mysteries”, are good examples of all the parts functioning to better the whole. The fuzzy pulses of the bass is a driving force in the song, as are Evans’ soulful rock vocals. One of the sweet spots of the tune is in the jangling guitar during the chorus that many may not notice the first time, but it’s these kinds of sweet spots along with the brief guitar effects and sounds that make songs like this really worthwhile. And, lucky for them, the album contains enough to go around.

The Will Evans Project [Official]
The Will Evans Project [MySpace]
Kalu James [MySpace]
Love at War [MySpace]

Editor's Note: This show has changed from free to $5, with all money going towards a donation to Grounded in Music.