When it comes to winding down my 2024 playlist vibes it’s all Midwest emo for the win, and what a better time for Camping in Alaska to drop their new album, Eggbeater Jesus. The band has come a long way since forming in Alabama back in 2012, and roots stem deeper than that as members Austin Davis and Jacob Stewart began writing together when they were just 15 years old. Over the years, the band’s music has progressed to paint somewhat of a personal landscape for the members, as the name “Eggbeater Jesus” was derived in relation and reflection to Davis’ time spent sleeping on the streets battling addiction. Therefore and to no surprise, these sentiments ring true throughout the album as a solemn reminder of the dark times.
The songs on this album are all a good duration, most being at least 4 minutes on average so there’s definitely a lot put into this one. The album starts off with a delicate piano introduction, a fresh take for the bands sound. “Mr. Fantastic”, the second track, spins off and I’m immediately thrown back into the environment of which made me a huge fan of these guys to begin with. This band has such a unique instrumental blend of math rock and Midwest emo roots combined with raw lyrics that create such a diversified, at times even darker sound, and it’s one thing thats always been very distinctive of their music for me.
Another really great aspect I love about this album that’s definitely something carried over from their past work is just the really fun, sentimentally drawn out instrumentals. I always appreciate a good, extended instrumental breakdown if it’s really cohesive with the track. I additionally admire how they’ve endeared and kept to the same tones that they’ve had in previous work, just a bit renowned, polished up with a bit of twang added in for a fun mix! It is very representative of how far they’ve developed as a band while still maintaining their core sound. The lyrics no less throughout the album stay true to heart, from start to finish. They’re unrefined and honest. Just the second song into the album you’ll hear Davis exclaim, “remember the time we stole some shit to get a quick fix?!” So, it’s very reminiscent of what the band has put out previously as far as their personal narrations and storytelling presented lyrically within their songs from past to present.
For the album title track, “Eggbeater Jesus”, the band picks apart different facets of loneliness and abandonment, which is a time and place any of us battling active addiction have faced. The song starts out bare and vulnerable, phrasing the existential questions we all face when hit with rock bottom. Midway into the song we’re flung back into nostalgia as the deliverance becomes heavier and emotions start to settle in. This song, alongside ending track “Woodgrain”, are my favorites from the album for the very same reasons aforementioned. They both end with long, heavy instrumentals that are very compelling and harmonizing to the production of the album in its entirety. It is, once more, definitely one of my favorite attributes of this album. Start streaming Camping In Alaska’s Eggbeater Jesus ASAP because they will be going on tour for this one next year!
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