All Eyes West

Jeff Dean has long been a staple of Chicago, IL's punk rock scene. A member of the Bomb and Noise By Numbers, his latest project is All Eyes West. Their eponymous debut takes direction from alt-punk forefathers such as Seaweed, Hüsker Dü and Swerverdriver. Heck, the album's second number, "Help is on the Way," could be the best Jawbreaker song written since Jawbreaker broke up, while leadoff track "Fact of Fiction" gets things off to a rocking start. Despite plenty of loud moments, it's when the band reach back to a '90s alt-rock approach, especially with distorted guitars, that they sound at their best and not dissimilar from Foo Fighters. This shines through on "Everything I Never Said" and "Preach to Rejects." It'll be interesting to see if All Eyes West embrace their more melodic side and become a Midwestern Cheap Girls or if they stick to their punk roots. Either way, this effort is a fine hybrid.