New York – Eagulls just swooped back through NYC after a much buzzed about CMJ run (including by us), and played both Mercury Lounge in Manhattan and Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn.

I believe I once again caught the tamer of the two at Mercury Lounge, figuring the dark basement atmosphere there would be just right for experiencing the melodically biting tunes, but then again it was an early show on a Wednesday. This seemed to be the show that music industry folks came out to, to see what the Eagulls hype was all about, so no one was trying to mosh or wild out too much. The show went almost too smoothly and felt like more of a mature music tasting, but I think the folks got the taste they were looking for.

All the reasons we highlighted Eagulls as one of our bands to watch in 2014 were on display. They vigorously hammered out a good amount of tunes to be officially released on their debut LP March 4, in their straight ahead no bullshit fashion. Almost no talking between songs, no delays, the boys in Eagulls had their set down to a smooth post-punk science. Guitarists Liam Matthews and Mark Goldsworthy have created these great riffs that flow together perfectly, and with bassist Tom Kelly provide some really affecting melodies. The counterpoint to this, besides Henry Ruddell pounding out the drum beats, is George Mitchell’s forceful enunciations. On songs like “Tough Luck,” he really punches the hard consonants, and shouts it all out with a vacant stare like his vocals are coming up from the bottom of a well that serves as a conduit to step outside of his body (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, anyone?). The combination of hard spitting vocals over a super solid melody is the genius of Eagulls, and is what the well-deserved buzzing is really all about.

Opening that night was no wave noise rock duo Yvette, who played a captivating set that reminded me of the time I saw Suuns at this same venue, and I loved everything about that show. Coincidentally, the house music that came on after Yvette’s set was Suuns, which kind of blew my mind a little bit. The connection there isn’t as much for similar sounding music as it is for the un-structure structure of the songs that snaps your head to attention because these guys have invented their own individual – and loud – way to rock.

Eagulls are heading back to the UK for some shows before a quick European tour and a album release homecoming. Yvette has a couple of Brooklyn shows on the February calendar, before they head down to SXSW.