On Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes, The Plastic Eyes deliver a refreshingly modern, polished spin on 1970s classic rock.
Reviewed by Ash
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before reading this review, please take ten minutes to give the EP a listen! The links to the project on all major streaming platforms can be found via The Plastic Eyes' Linktree page.
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR from me to you! I hope you all are resting comfortably as your final grades from last semester trickle in. Today, I'm bringing you a bite-sized review of a similarly-sized project. Hailing from Florida, the retro-flavored rock band The Plastic Eyes released their debut EP in October of 2022. Titled Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes, the EP is a tight, three-song collection of 1970s throwback classic rock that showcases the band's three members locked in sync together like a well-oiled machine. Fronted by MTech undergrad Tomas Della Torre, who performs lead vocals and guitars, the EP was recorded as a three-piece, with Pedro Restrepo on bass and Isaac Poler on drums. Tomas also served as chief songwriter and lyricist during the making of the EP, which was recorded at Hit Central in northern Miami and at Isaac's home studio. The end result is a faithful ode to classic rock that sees the band turn in a remarkably tight package of songs, cementing all three members as skilled musicians.
The EP opens with "Acid Rain", which kicks off the project on a dark, slowly-building guitar riff. The tight guitar & bass interplay on this track reminded me a bit of Fleetwood Mac, with the guitar parts integrating melodic passages and chords together in a way that I thought was pretty cool. Tomas delivers a composed vocal performance through a smooth baritone timbre that I thought was like a cross between Richard Ashcroft of The Verve and classic soul vocalists like Roy Orbison. The vocal melody during the chorus is especially catchy, and the opening line of "We were stuck between the city and the bay" definitely got stuck in my head a few different times while writing this review! I also thought the guitar layering on this track was really nice, as the band combined steady rhythmic power chords with various little countermelodies and hard-panned alternate chord voicings for a complex and diverse soundscape; in particular, I really enjoyed the little stepwise ascending figures in the right channel during the chorus, which I felt added a really great sense of movement to the whole thing. Isaac's drumming is also quite steady here, as he provides a solid pulse to the track while also hitting some tasteful, economical fills and little spot cues that the rest of the band follows very closely; it's evident from this first track that the band is really comfortable playing together, and the feel of everything remains impeccable throughout.
Pictured above: Bassist Pedro Restrepo, performing live with The Plastic Eyes.
The second track, "ORDEP", opens with a four-on-the-floor kick drum and regular power chords that establish a driving rhythm early on; these elements are soon joined by an eighth-note bassline. I really love Pedro's bass tone here; it hits with a rounded low end paired with just the right amount of ferocious, high-mid growl to stand out amidst the rest of the mix and provide some bite to the sound of the song. Pedro was also responsible for composing the chord progression in the chorus, which is another part of this song I particularly enjoyed. The blend of minor and major seventh chords pairs quite well with Tomas's soaring vocal melody, and Isaac's spot cues and fills are once again on point, giving the track a consistent-but-varied pulse. The band remains remarkably tight and each performance feels very locked-in, which I feel speaks to the level of familiarity the band's members have with each other as well as the material. If I do have one piece of constructive feedback for this song, it's that I wish the second verse moved the soundscape of the track forward a little more. As it stands, after the chorus, we mostly return to a fairly minimal instrumental soundscape anchored in pretty austere bass and guitar parts, and I found myself wishing for the addition of maybe one or two small elements to differentiate the second verse from the first more strongly and give it a clearer sense of progression. All things considered though, "ORDEP" is catchy, breezy, and infectious, and the band's tight performances and technical proficiency do a lot to elevate the track.
Pictured above: Isaac Poler, drummer for The Plastic Eyes.
The EP's third and final track, "Next Day's Diary", is a slightly more downtempo soft rock endeavor that feels like Tomas's take on the pop rock songwriting of acts like The Cure and Chicago. I really love the verses on this track; Tomas's opening line of "Selling souls isn't the way to go" is instantly ear-catching, and the chord progression and vocal melodies employed here are both aces. It's a shame we only get one verse, as a short, fiery guitar solo occupies the space between the first and second chorus. Still, though, this guitar solo is a good one, as Tomas gets a moment to shine as a guitarist, employing some tasteful bends and vibrato in a relatively frugal solo that nevertheless elevates the song quite a bit. The melodic guitar passages that crop up during the second chorus are also really nice, and interweave themselves with the vocal melody in a way that creates some interesting interplay. Speaking of the chorus, Tomas's vocal melody here consists mostly of long, sustained notes, resulting in a fairly simple melody with not a lot of variation or "ear candy" moments. On its own, this is fine, but I found myself really wishing for more melodic stuff with which to fill the space. In particular, I thought that some additional harmony layers might elevate the track a little more—chiefly because the limited backing harmonies we do hear sound really nice, and secondly because I think Tomas's smooth, rich baritone voice would sound excellent with some bigger and more expansive vocal layers. After the second chorus, the track breaks into an extended instrumental outro section. Isaac blesses us with some slightly crazier fills during this section to really drive home the catharsis of this moment, and I love Tomas's guitar parts during this section, as he layers nicely-voiced seventh chords and pseudo-melodic passages. The extended outro also sees Tomas let the vocals rip a little, as he gifts us a couple of descending falsetto passages (which represent the only times he leaves his baritone chest voice on the entire EP) and one particularly beautiful belted high note. As great as these vocal moments were, I only wish we'd gotten more of them!
Pictured above: Tomas Della Torre plays his Telecaster-type guitar live in concert.
With that being said, wanting more seems to be a recurring theme when evaluating my overall thoughts on this EP. It's evident that The Plastic Eyes are a very tight, technically skilled band, made up of saavy musicians who know their way around their respective instruments, complete with a skilled vocalist in Tomas. However, because of that, my chief subjective critique is that I find myself wishing that the band were a little more audacious and bold with their creative choices. It's very clear that The Plastic Eyes have absolutely no trouble pulling off this faithful rendering of '70s classic rock, but I'd love to see them get a little wilder and dirtier, with crazier riffs, more innovative sounds, and an ethos that commits itself a little more to breaking the established mold. Similarly, Tomas is a very skilled singer with a great vocal timbre, but I almost find myself wishing he sounded a little less polished & put-together at times. With the exception of the outro on "Next Day's Diary", Tomas doesn't give us a whole lot of moments where he really lets the vocals rip, and I'd love to hear a vocalist of his caliber truly unleash his voice and let it soar and let some more rawness and passion shine through. I have similar thoughts regarding the mixes, done by Dave Poler at Isaac's home studio. The mixes are clear and polished, and everything sounds rather professional while maintaining the project's retro spirit, but at the same time, I wish the project embraced a more striking aesthetic with regard to its sound, and threw more sounds at me that grabbed my attention more strongly, even if that means creating a final product that's a little more rough around the edges. Maybe this is too much to ask of a band that has only just released its debut project, but in my own humble opinion, this band and its members have a veritable ton of potential, and I would be very excited to see them lean into that potential and make something undeniably off-the-wall, crazy, and massive in scope.
However, please don't mistake my desire to see The Plastic Eyes innovate some more for an intrinsic dislike of the band, because I do really enjoy this EP at the end of the day and I think there's a lot to love about these guys. As I mentioned earlier, the whole band is super tight, and they boast an impressive level of cohesion in their playing with each other. A word that I keep coming back to in describing The Plastic Eyes is "economical"; nothing feels overstuffed, and it feels clear to me that each member has an understanding of and is committed to doing what serves the song as a whole. Pedro's bass playing makes for a strong foundation for the instrumental landscape of each track, Isaac's drumming provides a solid, driving rhythm complete with fun spot cues and moments of rhythmic variation that the rest of the band follows to a tee, and Tomas's guitar work is neatly layered and performed with focused precision. The spirit of the 1970s absolutely shines through, and the band has definitely captured the heart and soul of the music of this period to create something that feels like a faithful tribute borne out of genuine artistic respect and love. The main thing I wish for is that The Plastic Eyes take their '70s sensibilities and use them as the jumping-off point for new, exciting, and innovative sounds as they forge their own distinct artistic path. Whatever that looks like, I'll be very excited to see what The Plastic Eyes do next, and I'm certain their next project will be truly something wonderful to behold!
Personal enjoyment score: 7.5 out of 10
Standout tracks: "Next Day's Diary" was my personal favorite, but all three tracks deserve a listen.
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