What Am I Listening To? – February 2017

Here are my first impressions of the latest releases from Elbow, Eisley, and Robert Randolph & The Family Band.

Elbow – Little Fictions
Album #7 is a bit more of an upbeat one for Elbow. Guy Garvey just seems to be in a happier place in his life, and despite the loss of drummer Richard Jupp, the band seems to have taken great joy in constructing rhythmic loops that drive a number of these otherwise minimal songs. Nothing here strays all that far into aggressive rock territory, but as dreamy Britpop albums go, this is one of the band’s finest, and the first three tracks in particular are pure velvety goodness – some of the most accessible stuff to come out of Elbow in a while, actually.

Eisley – I’m Only Dreaming
I had really guarded expectations for this one after learning that only one of the three DuPree sisters who founded Eisley remained in the band. Their sisterly harmonies laid down thick on a bed of dark-but-dreamy indie pop were the band’s biggest draw. Sherri does an admirable job all by her lonesome, and it’s not like a casual listener could tell her voice apart from her sisters’ anyway, but there’s less piano now that Stacy’s gone, and the guitar riffs aren’t as memorable without Chauntelle. I’d almost consider this more of a solo project for Sherri, if brother Weston and cousin Garron, who fill out the rhythm section, weren’t still an integral part of the sound. Interestingly, male vocal contributions from Sherri’s husband, Say Anything singer Max Bemis, and Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green bring a different feel to a few tracks that turn out to be highlights, and a few other songs venture into more fantastical sonic landscape to offset the otherwise straightforward guitar pop. I probably won’t remember this as one of Eisley’s stronger records, but I like it more than The Valley, at least.

Robert Randolph & The Family Band – Got Soul
Picking on Robert Randolph and his band for their clichéd and sometimes downright embarrassing lyrics is probably missing the point. This is a funky jam band with a steel guitar at its core, and the style of music they play is generally a delight to listen to. Got Soul is simply the band indulging in the delight of live performance, and as with most bands of this type, the studio record’s really just a template for their more exploratory live shows. They bring in a few guest vocalists, as per their usual, and everyone involved seems to be having a blast. But I still have to wince at their hackneyed attempts to be socially conscious in some of their lyrics. I have no issue with the message, but the way they convey it is just… OUCH. It’s one thing when a band knows their lyrics are just there as a placeholder to give a vocalist something fun to do, and another thing altogether when they’re under the illusion that they’re speaking to their audience in some meaningful way. Don’t go in expecting the latter, and you’ll be alright.