Andrea Schiavelli previously used the name Eyes of Love for a solo cassette in 2011, then debuted the band of the same name with a 7" EP of VU-indebted lo-fi rock songs in 2016. An entirely different lineup of the band recorded End of the Game, the first Eyes of Love full-length, and by this point the project had developed into a lushly arranged prog-pop unit. Joined by Palberta's Lily Konigsberg and two members of the Cradle (Sammy Weissberg and Paco Cathcart), Schiavelli pens soft, heartfelt semi-orchestral pop tunes with fractured rhythms and unexpected detours. Opener "Homeowners" sets the stage with jumpy rhythms which completely pause in order to showcase Schiavelli's brief yet overstuffed verses. Undoubtedly influenced by Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band, the group rehearsed these songs to death and recorded them live in the studio without overdubs. Instead of being imposingly abrasive or inscrutably cryptic, however, Schiavelli's songs are more gentle and heartfelt. His vocals are feather-soft, and his lyrics, while sometimes abstract, can also be nakedly sentimental. It's not always a puzzle of stop-start trickiness, either; songs like "Players of the Field" and "There's a Party" have more easygoing, straightforward rhythms, and are even a bit catchy. On numbers such as "Classifieds Strings" and "End of the Game," Schiavelli is accompanied by delicate string arrangements rather than the full band, and two solo piano instrumentals add to the album's sophisticated feel. End of the Game is complex but not discordant; it never seems like Schiavelli is trying to out-weird anyone or attack the listener with an over-abundance of sounds. It could've ended up a jumble of an album if it wasn't so tightly composed, well arranged, and cleanly recorded.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo