15 Years
Into It. Over It. / 15 Years / 2023 / STORM052
Evan’s tease was true! 2023 has been absolutely full of surprises. This past Wednesday, September 27th marked exactly 15 years since the completion of the infamous 52 Weeks project (If unfamiliar, check out Record Review #9). As an anniversary homage, Weiss re-recorded and released 15 select tracks from 52 Weeks to give them the extra time and attention they deserved. Recorded between 2020 and 2022, 15 Years is uncoincidentally Evan’s 52nd release through his Storm Chasers LTD record label. Even though I may not have been along for the entire 15 year ride, the 11 that I have still drives a multitude of college memories and nostalgia as I spin these reimagined tracks for the first time.
15 Years is a true culmination of Into It Over It’s roots combined with everything he’s learned and been influenced by in the past decade and a half. Opening track Batsto subs out the droning amplifier feedback with some Fender Rhodes alongside programmed drums. Acoustic guitar strums enter as Evan’s Gibbard-toned voice adds some mature harmonies - “Remembering the year that you were gone. A series of decisions, unhealthy living, writing novels in monitored time”. It’s iconic, yet refined. A Song About Your Party and Gin & Ironic both sound fresh. The re-captured guitar tones, Adam Beck’s drumming, and re-mixed vocals really give dimension to each track that makes them sound less flat then the originals. New Careers feels more spacious with the addition of chimes and reverberated electric guitar. We Organized Your Life and All Thumbs Down are some of my all time favorites from 52 Weeks with the beautifully curated acoustic guitar riffs and memorable lyrics. All Thumbs Down sounds so much more ethereal and emotional as Evan sings some of the most relatable lines -“Cause without you in bed, it’s nights with strings and cables instead. And they won’t hold you back, as much as you want. They don’t hold ya, they don’t hold ya, they don’t hold ya back”. Crowd surf inducing, fan favorite Fak It stays true to the classic and still gets my blood pumping every time it comes on - it’s a quintessential IIOI track that is bouncy and full of fretboard slides and math-rock licks. Pinky Swear appears as the album closer and it is the perfect send off. The track is so catchy and relatable that every time it comes on shuffle it’s hard to skip. Evan’s commendable lines still hold up today - “Life gets in the way of living and interrupts the could-be, would-be, should-be that we’re offered every day. And now that you and I’ve been given what we’ve wanted, lets make a pinky swear that we don’t throw it all away”. As the song ends, a loop of echoey guitars continues on for another minute as they slowly fade out reminiscent of tracks from American Football’s LP2.
15 Years was produced by Adam Beck and Evan Weiss and recorded in Chicago, Illinois. As Evan mentions on every single one of his releases - Use Headphones.
