Posted on: June 25, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 3

“Matryoshka” is the first track listeners will encounter during Elevator Art’s self-titled release, and it is integral for beginning to understand exactly what it is that the band will set out to do here. The frenetic energy that the band brings to the table will remind listeners of Interpol and The Anniversary just as a more current and vibrant sound comes to bear.

Where there seems to be a certain flatness present in a great many indie rock recordings, there is a richness and warmth present to a “Peter Rabbit” that will stick with listeners long after the disc has ended. It is the cohesive nature of Elevator Art that will garner the most fans; rather than dividing things up into vocals and musical sides, each element works off of each other to create something greater than the sum of pieces. “Autumn Epitaph” is a track that can look back to early R.E.M. or the Violent Femmes, with a jangly, guitar and drum-laden track bolstering somewhat softly-spoken vocals. “How Does The Day Find You” is a meandering type of track that looks further back than other songs present here – I can hear hints of The Beatles, Neil Young, and even Credence Clearwater Revival here. With a number of diverse and distinct facets for listeners to tease out on “Elevator Art”, it becomes a question about what path the band will take on subsequent recordings.

The only thing that seems to be a constant through the entirety of this record, though, has to be the band’s drive and determination. While efforts like “Deja Voodoo” and “Freedom Cell” may showcase a two diametrically opposed sides to Elevator Art, it is this quality of arrangement, production, and overall sound that breeds familiarity in anyone lucky enough to pick up this album. Before buying any subsequent releases, I would like to see how the band’s context changes when they are in a live setting. The album itself is something special, but I feel that a set from Elevator Art would be something sublime.

Top Tracks: Deja Voodoo, Raised By Wolves

Rating: 8.2/10

Elevator Art – Self-Titled / 2010 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/elevatorart

3 People reacted on this

  1. This Band is phenomenal!!! Just bought the album on Amazon and ITS AMAZING!!!!!! FEEL GOOD MUSIC INDEED!! Why cant they play new stuff this good on the radio? Fan for LIFE!

  2. If you enjoyed their first album, you REALLY need to check out their new one, TENT CITY” coming out Dec 9th, 2011. You can hear “Killing Time” on Sound Cloud and view the video of “Tent City” on their facebook page.

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