Big Eyes, “Back From the Moon” 7-inch

cover-big-eyes-backCould Big Eyes write a bad song if they tried? I doubt it. Their Hard Life LP was one of my favorite records of last year, and the two singles preceding it were equally stunning. And now, with the “Back From the Moon” b/w “I Don’t Care About Friday Night” single on Grave Mistake, they’ve tightened their garage pop even further.

While the a-side is stellar, and a punchier version of what we’ve come to expect from the now Seattle-based trio, it’s the flipside that’s the real treat. “I Don’t Care About Friday Night” is sunny, but tough. Like “Back From the Moon,” it has even more melody than what Big Eyes brought in the past, but it’s the crooned “ooh”s that grab your attention.

Kate Eldridge is my favorite voice in music right now — not female voice, but voice, period. Her husky, raspy tone is powerful, but with a slight quaver of vulnerability that lends an element of realism to her lyrics. You believe Eldridge when she sings about broken relationships, but you also believe that she’s going to be all right.