Charging forward with a confidence that belies the band’s infancy, PEI’s Moment of Eclipse has delivered a debut single that shows off some serious chops for the young band. “Obsessive, Compulsive” is a driving rock jaunt with major earworm potential. A solid pairing of headbanging instrumentals with some smooth, loquacious vocals, the track evokes the spirit of east coast rock while bringing a unique personality to the table.
Recording for the track began at the start of the year in the wake of the band’s Emerging Artist win with Music PEI. Their first time together in the studio after a year of regular gigging, things seemed promising for the high-school band. But the pandemic being what it was, the studio time was halted, leaving the track on the back burner until June.
But the track seems to have been worth the wait, and it serves as a strong introduction to the band. The tone of the mix is immediately notable. Produced by Jon Matthews, every instrument gets some time in the sun and come out in an energizing balance. Jesse MacCormac’s drums gallop things forward alongside Charlotte Lloyd’s bass, Casey Mann shows off some anthemic lead licks in the bridge, and Nicolas Dickieson’s vocals truly set the song apart with a tone that is both clean and clear yet slightly smirking.
The amalgamation of rock influences is evident- the lyrics ring of the verbosity and casual strut of Arctic Monkeys, while the musical energy has all the trappings of 90s hard rock and softer grunge. The two put together give off a familiar vibe as well not dissimilar to the earliest days of east coast darlings Sloan.
Moment of Eclipse have clearly put their heart in on “Obsessive, Compulsive”, and the results speak for themselves. With one foot in retro rock and the other in today’s paradigm, the band shows great potential moving forward. If this debut is any indicator of what we’ll be seeing from them on future releases, it’s safe to say that the group is ready to make a name for themselves.