Artist: Public Eye
EP: Mood Change Party (Demo Tape)
Released: May 2016
Label: Sabotage Records

Public Eye is a new post-punk band out of Portland comprised of Adam Becker, Alex Tryon, Nick Vicario, and Seve Sheldon. They previously played together in the punk band Autistic Youth. Their debut EP, Mood Change Party combines melodic, indie rock sensibilities with laser sharp technical precision. Originally recorded last August in Portland at the Trash Treasury, Sabotage Records is now releasing a cassette of the band’s five-track demo.

The build up, energy and eventual guitar-driven poppiness and transitions of the opening track ‘I Won’t Go’ remind me of Traams. The track’s lyrics seem to be about general anti-social discontent, and most of the songs seem to deal with general frustration in life. Despite often dealing with desolate subject matters, all of the songs are straightforward and energetic. ‘The Hours’ is a song about regretting wasting time on a bad relationship, but it still manages to come across as upbeat. The dirge like title track starts off up-tempo even with lyrics like “I’m bored with you, I’m bored with me,” but like a mood change, eventually winds down into something else by the end of song. Ending the album is the cheerfully boisterous ‘Left Side.’

The entire record clocks in at just over 16 minutes. While not on the album, you can check out the performance of a Public Eye song put out by Next Northwest:

You can check out a stream of the EP and order the cassette here or soon from the Sabotage Records site.

-Laurie Jane