Public Eye are a new outfit composed of the players from Portland punk mainstays Autistic Youth, only settled behind different instruments, and Mood Change Party is their debut release. On the five-song cassette, Public Eye have swapped Autistic Youth’s dour swagger for a more rigid, wiry demeanor. “The Hours” is a bitter lament for time spent, while “Left Side” evokes the static groove Spacemen 3. Overall, it’s plaintive and dejected, but instilled with the melodies and ensemble precision that typify an indie-rock approach to post-punk, rather than, say, Institute’s slobbering take, or the madcap invention of Total Control, although the Australian group’s presence is felt on Mood Change Party‘s title-track.
