Eddie Doldrum

Rocks Like:
Desaparecidos, Two Gallants, Cursive

Check Out:
'World’s Best Dad' EP

After years of playing in bands that were never quite the right fit, Samuel Hunt decided in early 2010 to make a change. “I made the decision to stop playing with musicians just because it was convenient and to seek out the kind of people I knew could help me make something happen,” says the Eddie Doldrum frontman. From there, Eddie Doldrum slowly started adding members until the full outfit was assembled in the fall of that year. After much writing, rewriting, practicing and more practicing, the band began playing shows, building their fanbase and developing their emotionally charged sound. “Music is the most important thing to me,” says Hunt. “This band makes it possible for me to be a real part of it,” Eddie Doldrum just released their first EP and are looking forward to some upcoming tours where they hope to “spread their roots across the Midwest.” - Alternative Press Magazine

“To make it to the future, we must first get through to the past,” sings Sam Hunt on Eddie Doldrum’s debut EP “World’s Best Dad.” It’s a lyrical sentiment that could sum up the plight of any northeast Ohio musician who has tried to defend the region through song. Rust Belt artists know the area’s scattered pockets of forward-thinking and optimistic people, who despite economic decline and population loss, are the ones building a future of exciting and important culture. And it’s those residents who wear their optimism like a badge of honor even when cynical politicians and outsiders try their damndest to squelch it. So it comes as no surprise that the introspective folk revivalists Eddie Doldrum hail from the rubber-padded city of Akron. The band, which originally began as a duo between Hunt and drummer Ryan Sandy, has grown to include Jeffrey Steinwachs (bass) and Jacob Densford (guitar, mandolin). Bright Eyes, or Conor Oberst, is a large and looming influence on Hunt, whose strained, jittery and nervous vocal proclamations make every word sound heartbreaking. Take opener “Tearable Teeth,” for example, which kicks in it all at once with Densford’s mandolin mimicking the acoustic guitars and a catchy electric guitar lick. Here Hunt cries, “Everyday I’m getting better at feeling worse / Yeah, I call that progress, my sadness comes first / There ain’t no word that could bang a drum if it didn’t fucking hurt / Ain’t no way a little boy like me will ever have some kind of worth.” The vocals sit front and center on “World’s Best Dad” and I suppose they should with such an intense and expressive singer. But more musical diversions would have been welcomed, especially since all five songs glide at a similar mid-tempo pace. Still the quiet-loud-quiet musical performances give songs like “Condolences” a rollercoaster-like dynamic that are textured with a mandolin that weeps, providing a musical sadness to follow Hunt’s lyrics. From the oblique references to the folk-country revivalist spirit and bitter lyrics, “World’ Best Dad” makes for a suitable alternative if Bright Eyes’ last release left a bad taste in your mouth. - Buzzbin Magazine

Akron’s Eddie Doldrum immediately drew me in with their Modest Mouse-esque vocals and guitar arrangements. The four-piece pummeled through a 30-minute set, and I appreciated the variety of tunes. Not one song sounded the same, which was refreshing. And, they had a mandolin — also refreshing. Their first EP, World’s Best Dad, came out in October. - Nasty Fancy