by Jason

I don’t remember how I found out about Avendesora, but I am glad I did. They are a Texas trio with guitar, drums, vocals, and keys. I revel in young bands like this. Their potential is incredible and I can’t wait to see what they come up with throughout their lifetime if they keep sharing their music with the world. Ok, so much for the gushing, onto the disc.

The disc comes with a homemade insert that was obviously cut with scissors. Not professional, but it certainly gets the job done and, actually, makes the album feel rather homey. It’s like the band took care of things themselves rather than have a machine perfectly cut paper. Another nice touch is the fact that it is on a 3″ disc. I have few of these and it makes the disc have a sort of odd, but good place in my collection.

The demo begins with a mid-tempo song, “My Burned Eyes” that is subtle and graceful. One is struck by the stripped down sound and the innocence and angelic quality of Kimmie‘s voice. What I like about this band is they don’t stretch the song out beyond its usefulness. Although they are about subtleness, they don’t seem to be like other “quiet” bands that can drag the song out. “Ceremony of Twelve” features great guitar and drum work along with accents of keys. This is the only instrumental song on the disc, and they deliver. They have nice tempo changes and the keep it interesting throughout. This is not your atmospheric Ester Drang nor your quiet Early Day Miners, but it is relaxing and energizing all at the same time.

“Poetic Justice and We All Die Young” is probably the highlight of the disc for me. It’s about cliché love that was lost and the shallowness of some people’s obsessions with others, but I find their lyrics to breath fresh life into old topics. The guitar seems to have the effect that a bass would have on much of this song. Another highlight on the disc is “Sophia Pfingstein.” This is a song using the lyric off of a tombstone. With Kimmie on the vox, the song is subtle, caring, and altogether moving.

Their last song is their longest. “Some People are Born with Tragedy in their Blood” clocks in around 5:00 and is the most complex. In this song, they seem to explore that ingrained part of human beings to run from hope in the Savior and place trust in “a bottle, a gun, or a knife.” The song is melancholy, but Avendesora seems to see the world through realistic eyes.

All in all, I would say that this is a strong demo. Any label should be proud to pick this band up. Kimmie‘s vocals are soft and angelic while the guitar and drum work never overpowers here delicate voice.