The Evens - The Evens (2005)

The Evens is the self-titled debut album from The Evens, a duo formed by Ian MacKaye on baritone guitar and Amy Farina on drums (both assuming vocal duties). Consisting of songs that the pair had been writing since August 2001, the songs would be performed live several times and even demoed before being recorded at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara during the summer of 2004. A reaction against what MacKaye had perceived to be the commercialization of rock music driven by the industry's "idea of youth", the album's "post-post-hardcore" sound is more stripped-down, minimal and personal in comparison to his work with Fugazi. The more direct and politically-charged lyrics, penned by both members, deal mainly with "the loss of community and the struggle to recapture it", though some of them feature romantic themes as well.

Released through Dischord Records in the spring of 2005, the album received positive reviews from a number of different sources. Much of the praise (& even criticism) centered around the duo's sound, performances and songwriting, with publications such as Pitchfork and Cokemachineglow considering the album to be an impressive and even "vital" debut.