Posted on: October 12, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Elliott Carlson Botero – Parasite: A Love Story / 2007 Self / 15 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/ecbmusic /

Elliott Carlson Botero has been around a long time. With a couple of discs under his belt, “Parasite: A Love Story” marks his musical magnum opus. “Plastic Bag Tree” is a track that subjugates a number of different styles and approaches into a coherent style. The heavy bass line, the Goo Goo Dolls-like guitars, the Stephen Curtis Chapman-esque vocals, and the hints of brass all unite to mark Botero’s first hit on “Parasite: A Love Story”. The number of different pieces to “Plastic Bag Tree” will ensure that individuals have to listen a number of times before they understand everything that Botero has placed into the track.

“Francis and Matilda” shows that Botero can go and add different styles and approaches to the mix. The clapping and electronically modified vocals on the track imbue a Dire Straits-like sound to “Parasite: A Love Story”. Regardless of the constellation of influences and arrangements that are present during a Botero track, what results with each track is something that could easily make it onto rock radio rotation. “Starless Lounge” starts out slowly but gradually picks up instruments and energy as the song spins along. What results with this track is a re-interpretation of “Plastic Bag Tree” along more alt-country lines. Never one to be painted into a corner, Botero adds just enough to each track on “Parasite” to keep things fresh. “Starless Lounge” is also of note because of the ever-present bass line that winds its way through the entirety of the track. While the bass line is not incredibly intricate, it provides the missing piece to the puzzle, and makes “Starless Lounge” into a clapping, stomping hit.

“Je T’Aime Felix” starts out with a bit of foreign language to give the song a certain atmosphere, moving into an eclectic, bouncy track soon after. The vocal component of this track consists of different samples, but Botero shows again his skill in the linking together of these disparate samples with instrumentation to create a Barry White-meets-electronic type of sound. Botero wins me over the most when one considers that he is able to go and keep individuals interested throughout fifteen different songs. With his desire to experiment and change things up from song to song, he does just that. Give Botero your ear if you are a fan of jazz, soul, funk, electronic, or of rock music; his varied approach can be appreciated by all.

Top Tracks: Starless Lounge, Plastic Bag Tree

Rating: 6.2/10

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