Get to know Slaughter Beach, the solo project of Modern Baseball’s Jake Ewald
There is more than enough of Jake Ewald hyper-metaphorical lyricism to go around with his new project, Slaughter Beach. The frontman of Modern Baseball released his debut three-track solo EP, Dawg, back in August. His main band can be heard in these songs, for which he plays drums and bass as well. Opener “Mallrat Semi-Annual” features a reverb sound reminiscent of MoBo’s sophomore release, You’re Gonna Miss It All.
Ewald’s catchy, narrative lyrics are prominent on this EP as well. “He’s gathered all of the data and passed it through his pasta strainer of a brain” on “Mallrat” paints a picture of the thoughts racing through this twenty-something’s mind. “Real Annie” executes the heavy guitar distortion that shows even deeper similarities to their sophomore album with evolving drum patterns.
Ewald has always seemed to combine a dedicated voice with his well-crafted lyricism, conveyed through the final track, “Bed Fest.” Lyrics like “Safe now, it’s over, the clammy slumber detoxing” dictate his knack for narration through specific word choice. He also experiments much more with the closing track, showcasing his maturity as a musician since You’re Gonna Miss It All.
On Christmas Eve, Ewald released his take on Seattle indie group Pedro the Lion’s “Start Without Me” to has Bandcamp page. Listen to it below, along with the Dawg EP.
Slaughter Beach will be playing a show at Creep Records on January 29 with Boston emo hardcore band Aviator, and central Illinois band Our Lady. The show starts at 7 p.m. with a $5 suggested donation (a credit towards a purchase of $20 or more of any item in the store during the show).