The Overeasy

“Good Times With Your Feet” album review by MN Dey

Beginning their career together as the coveted campus band of the University of Redlands between roughly 2008 and 2011, The Overeasy is an audience-loving ensemble composed of the kinds of college kids both your staunch parents and your bro dig, dig?

When vocalists Nina Fernando, Brett Serrell, and Ethan Tucker harmonize, it’s a croon-swoon phenomenon that placates even the most vitriolic of listeners: the hipster music critic. Layer that with the seamless genre-blending skills of drummer Pete Gibson, lead guitarist Sean Murphy, and saxophonist Ryan Gargliano, and you get the hipster music critic ranting about how he/she was simply waiting forever for a West Coast jazz-rooted, funk-loving band to stir up a deliciously vinyl-worthy hip hop/bee bop/doo wop garnished record that flows far from the likes of Dave Matthews Band.

But of course, let’s not be so serious. With their sophomore album “Good Times With Your Feet”, The Overeasy throws a damn dirty sweet party. The band composed nine songs that provoke listeners to get the fuck up and literally make good times with their feet. It’s an accurate title, folks, and one that surely disproves the radio industry’s understanding that inanely repetitive anything with autotuned, hypersexualized lyrics is what the public should dance to.

Thanks to the coupling of sensual harmonies with some dynamic flute-playin’ in the minimalist track “Flow Jay”, I was Lauryn-Hill-like sauntering, imagining myself in some Midsummer Night’s Dream illicit escapade. If a band can create such allure and depth with a flute, you know you are listening to some quality musicians, ok!

With tracks like “Lay Down” and “Same”, The Overeasy proves they are savvy culture makers of their generation. “Lay Down” slides gritty on the relationship/sex/love scale with lyrics like “I could never kiss you like a leading man/I got too much venom in my mouth for that/It’s ok, lay down, lay down.” And just when you think they may be too sexy for intellect, “Same” (featuring rapper K- Strick) enters the mix and eloquently elucidates the frustration of youth bogged by cycles of bullshit.

“Good Times With Your Feet” is a record sure to engage its audience with what every person loves about music—how it makes them feel. I genuinely feel good when I listen to this record; not swindled, not devolved, not bored, not anxious. I just groove, and even feel a bit reassured about the world. It’s a marvelous experience. If you have the resources to purchase their album, please support their artistic endeavors by doing so. - MN Dey

“Good Times With Your Feet” album review by MN Dey

Beginning their career together as the coveted campus band of the University of Redlands between roughly 2008 and 2011, The Overeasy is an audience-loving ensemble composed of the kinds of college kids both your staunch parents and your bro dig, dig?

When vocalists Nina Fernando, Brett Serrell, and Ethan Tucker harmonize, it’s a croon-swoon phenomenon that placates even the most vitriolic of listeners: the hipster music critic. Layer that with the seamless genre-blending skills of drummer Pete Gibson, lead guitarist Sean Murphy, and saxophonist Ryan Gargliano, and you get the hipster music critic ranting about how he/she was simply waiting forever for a West Coast jazz-rooted, funk-loving band to stir up a deliciously vinyl-worthy hip hop/bee bop/doo wop garnished record that flows far from the likes of Dave Matthews Band.

But of course, let’s not be so serious. With their sophomore album “Good Times With Your Feet”, The Overeasy throws a damn dirty sweet party. The band composed nine songs that provoke listeners to get the fuck up and literally make good times with their feet. It’s an accurate title, folks, and one that surely disproves the radio industry’s understanding that inanely repetitive anything with autotuned, hypersexualized lyrics is what the public should dance to.

Thanks to the coupling of sensual harmonies with some dynamic flute-playin’ in the minimalist track “Flow Jay”, I was Lauryn-Hill-like sauntering, imagining myself in some Midsummer Night’s Dream illicit escapade. If a band can create such allure and depth with a flute, you know you are listening to some quality musicians, ok!

With tracks like “Lay Down” and “Same”, The Overeasy proves they are savvy culture makers of their generation. “Lay Down” slides gritty on the relationship/sex/love scale with lyrics like “I could never kiss you like a leading man/I got too much venom in my mouth for that/It’s ok, lay down, lay down.” And just when you think they may be too sexy for intellect, “Same” (featuring rapper K- Strick) enters the mix and eloquently elucidates the frustration of youth bogged by cycles of bullshit.

“Good Times With Your Feet” is a record sure to engage its audience with what every person loves about music—how it makes them feel. I genuinely feel good when I listen to this record; not swindled, not devolved, not bored, not anxious. I just groove, and even feel a bit reassured about the world. It’s a marvelous experience. If you have the resources to purchase their album, please support their artistic endeavors by doing so. - MN Dey