Eisley

[murlough23]

Jeromy Deibler of FFH sounds like a constipated man singing on the toilet.

Sorry, but Paul McCoy from 12 Stones has the market cornered on constipation.

[Wildcatblue7]

Sorry, but Paul McCoy from 12 Stones has the market cornered on constipation.

haha

Jon Foreman sounds like Animal and Fonzie Bear mixed together.

[Brenden]

Leigh Nash always reminded me of an old woman singing. I like the Eisley singer's voice better.

[Josh]

That's funny, because sometimes I think Jon Foreman sounds like a Muppet singing.

On some of his old songs, Ron Sexsmith sounded a bit like Kermit the Frog.

Tom Waits sounds like a Muppet from Hell.

[murlough23]

On some of his old songs, Ron Sexsmith sounded a bit like Kermit the Frog.

Hey, don't make fun of Ron. It's not easy being a Blue Boy.

Tom Waits sounds like a Muppet from Hell.

Tru dat.

And P.O.D.'s song "Without Jah, Nothin'", according to a great quote from a reviewer many years ago, sounds like it was recorded in a mental institution for deranged Muppets.

Oh, and the guy from Living Sacrifice sounds like Cookie Monster.

I think that covers the Muppet bases. What were we talking about again?

[Wildcatblue7]

The old vocalist for LS sounded like Cookie Monster choking on Oscar's garbage.

the new guy rules though.    

[murlough23]

The old vocalist for LS sounded like Cookie Monster choking on Oscar's garbage.

LOL. Good one.

I was mostly making a dig at the genre in general, but it's all in good fun. You know I respect those guys even if their music ain't really my style.

NP: "Passover Us", Andrew Peterson

[enemy anemone]

I had picked up an issue of Paste magazine the other week, and initially I found the Eisley song (Marvelous Things) on the sampler cd to be listenable, but all the ahhhh, ahhhhh's got irritating pretty quickly.
I like Leigh Nash's vocals. don't really care for the Eisley singer's based on this one song.  

[eatahouse]

I had picked up an issue of Paste magazine the other week, and initially I found the Eisley song (Marvelous Things) on the sampler cd to be listenable, but all the ahhhh, ahhhhh's got irritating pretty quickly.
I like Leigh Nash's vocals. don't really care for the Eisley singer's based on this one song.

Hmm... that's the different track, because Stacy leads the vocals on that one.

On the others, Sherri is the lead vocalist. You might like her voice more.

[murlough23]

I had picked up an issue of Paste magazine the other week, and initially I found the Eisley song (Marvelous Things) on the sampler cd to be listenable, but all the ahhhh, ahhhhh's got irritating pretty quickly.
I like Leigh Nash's vocals. don't really care for the Eisley singer's based on this one song.

That's my favorite track on the CD!

NP: "Even If", The Corrs

[Wildcatblue7]

LOL. Good one.

I was mostly making a dig at the genre in general, but it's all in good fun. You know I respect those guys even if their music ain't really my style.

NP: "Passover Us", Andrew Peterson

Yeah, I know, but a lot of those guys really do sound like Cookie Monster.  I listen to a lot less straight metal than I used to for just that reason . . . it gets really annoying.  haha.

[murlough23]

Lest we forget that this thread is about Eisley, here's my review.

[dgp11776]

Lest we forget that this thread is about Eisley, here's my review.

Great review, David.  I'm with you on this album - I think it's fantastic.

[-TheWanderer-]

I don't understand all the hype and rage over this album.  There's nothing on there that warrants such rave reviews.  I tried to listen to it with a clear mind, but I kept hearing Leigh Nash on every freaking song.  Maybe it's me, but Eisley gets way too much credit.

[dgp11776]

I don't understand all the hype and rage over this album.  There's nothing on there that warrants such rave reviews.  I tried to listen to it with a clear mind, but I kept hearing Leigh Nash on every freaking song.  Maybe it's me, but Eisley gets way too much credit.

I have a hard time accepting anything like that from a White Stripes fan.

[murlough23]

There's no law in place that requires us all to agree on this album. Some are going to think it's sublimely beautiful, and others are going to think it's mere fluff, and you know, I can understand both sides of that argument. Some like their music a little grittier, or a little more important-sounding, not floating off in its own weird little dream-land. And you know what, it's fine to not be into that. Personally, I really dig it, but I'll admit that they do have a shadow to get out from under if they want to stand on their own in the long run as a great band.

[-TheWanderer-]

There's no law in place that requires us all to agree on this album. Some are going to think it's sublimely beautiful, and others are going to think it's mere fluff, and you know, I can understand both sides of that argument. Some like their music a little grittier, or a little more important-sounding, not floating off in its own weird little dream-land. And you know what, it's fine to not be into that. Personally, I really dig it, but I'll admit that they do have a shadow to get out from under if they want to stand on their own in the long run as a great band.

I do agree that there are portions of the album that are pretty good, very light and relaxing.  Your last sentence is what I was trying to say last night, though.   They have a lot of potential.  The test is if they can fulfill that potential and progress.

[bloop]

I have a hard time accepting anything like that from a White Stripes fan.

Yeah, because Jack White is starting to sound just a bit like Leigh Nash.   =)

While I don't consider Eisley to be very progressive in their sound, I do think they do a solid job and that it is still early in their game.

[murlough23]

I do agree that there are portions of the album that are pretty good, very light and relaxing.  Your last sentence is what I was trying to say last night, though.   They have a lot of potential.  The test is if they can fulfill that potential and progress.

Right, and I figure that most bands on their debut records are still figuring out who they want to be, and are therefore usually just a slightly different spin on their infleunces (in this case, the influences are very good ones, so no big problem there). Their originality mostly lies in their lyrics at the moment; I'm hoping the music figures out a way to catch up with, but what they've started with does make an impression... at least on me.

[bloop]

Well, at best they sound very Sixpence-like, I'll give Wanderer that, and those times compose the majority of their music, hence I like them, but wish them to move beyond their influences shortly.  Sometimes, however, I find the sound to be more akin to Branch rock, as in Michelle Branch, which is pretty limp and powerless IMO (positively asking to be made fun of in a bad movie like "White Chicks").

[bethany]

I like Eisley quite a lot. They do very much remind me of a cross between Chasing Furies and Sixpence, but they're not straight-out imitations of their style. For 15+ year olds, it's a pretty impressive debut album, and I find it to be whimsical fun.

G-g-golly, Sandra...

[murlough23]

Well, at best they sound very Sixpence-like, I'll give Wanderer that, and those times compose the majority of their music, hence I like them, but wish them to move beyond their influences shortly.  Sometimes, however, I find the sound to be more akin to Branch rock, as in Michelle Branch, which is pretty limp and powerless IMO (positively asking to be made fun of in a bad movie like "White Chicks").

Hey! I like Michelle Branch.

Of course, my like for her spawned from the fact that she was a teenager who could actually play an instrument and who didn't dance, which was kind of a low-set bar. But she has some good songs.

Eisley might have a couple songs where they sound more "normal", but I'm not really getting that comparison as a whole.

[bloop]

Hey! I like Michelle Branch.

Of course, my like for her spawned from the fact that she was a teenager who could actually play an instrument and who didn't dance, which was kind of a low-set bar. But she has some good songs.

Eisley might have a couple songs where they sound more "normal", but I'm not really getting that comparison as a whole.

Well, it's not like I really thought of that very hard.  Branch is just what came to mind.  However, I consider Michelle Branch and Vanessa Carlton to be easy-listening teen fluff-pop.  That they have clothes on is incidental (and apparently somewhat changeable).  Either one doesn't appear to have much value in a long-term sense.

Sixpence is a better comparison of course, since that composes a much larger percentage of their songs.  The Chasing Furies comparison bethany made isn't so terrible, either.

I like it when artists do a little jig while holding their guitars.  Bonus points if it just about looks like they're making love to their instrument (of course, this only applies to live performance).

[murlough23]

However, I consider Michelle Branch and Vanessa Carlton to be easy-listening teen fluff-pop.  That they have clothes on is incidental (and apparently somewhat changeable).  Either one doesn't appear to have much value in a long-term sense.

I won't argue with you there. I'm not a huge Branch fan; I just like enough of her songs to own her albums (they're both 3 to 3 1/2-star quality, nothing to write home about, but I enjoy 'em for the most part). I was kind of hoping she'd be more of a symbol of intelligence for the teenybopper genre in the long run, but she's kind of degenerated into just another female singer/songwriter, so whatever.

I like it when artists do a little jig while holding their guitars.

Do you mean like a Dave Matthews jig, or an Ashlee Simpson jig?

Bonus points if it just about looks like they're making love to their instrument (of course, this only applies to live performance).

That reminds me of a joke about french horn players... which I won't tell.

By the way, bloop, you did catch the reference in the title of my Eisley review, right?

[Aaron]

What's the difference between a seamstress and a french horn player?

The seamstress tucks up the frills

[bloop]

Neither.  A Melissa Auf Der Maur jig.

[murlough23]

What's the difference between a seamstress and a french horn player?

The seamstress tucks up the frills

Heh. That reminds me about the epileptic corn farmer, who shucks between fits.

But that wasn't the french horn player joke I had in mind.

[enemy anemone]

I listened to a few more Eisley songs and just couldn't get into them. the music sounds too TheSame and the lyrics do nothing for me. *shrug*

[Josh]

DGP was good enough to send my a copy of this album, and I'm so glad he did. I popped in the CD late last night, deciding to give this band one more chance, and, lo and behold, I am starting to surrender to their melodic sweetness, however slowly.

I still have some complaints with this disc. For one, many of the songs sound too similar, but that might clear up with repeated listenings. And the dense, wall-to-wall noisiness of the production can grow very wearying. Perhaps they could learn a few lessons in simplicity from Over the Rhine.

But I am growing more impressed with each listen. The melodies really are rich, and the compositions are startlingly mature. And they're not nearly as unoriginal as I first thought.

Maybe a few more listens will convert me into a full-fledged fan. Right now, I'd give it a solid B, which ain't too shabby for a new artist.

[murlough23]

For one, many of the songs sound too similar, but that might clear up with repeated listenings.

I felt that way, too, and it did clear up for me. (Heck, I even thought dc Talk's Jesus Freak all sounded the same at first. I still can't figure that one out.)

And the dense, wall-to-wall noisiness of the production can grow very wearying. Perhaps they could learn a few lessons in simplicity from Over the Rhine.

I actually like the wall-of-sound approach, as long as everything doesn't get mushed together. Eisley's guitars could stand to be a little more noticeable, but other than that, I don't mind the big, full sound (and it is more scaled back in several places). I like the delicate approach of groups like OtR, but subtle stuff can take me a little longer to appreciate. I like it when there are a lot of sounds present in a song and you notice different things as you listen more.

But I am growing more impressed with each listen. The melodies really are rich, and the compositions are startlingly mature. And they're not nearly as unoriginal as I first thought.

Maybe a few more listens will convert me into a full-fledged fan. Right now, I'd give it a solid B, which ain't too shabby for a new artist.

Excellent. That's a way better grade than I thought you'd give it.

[Josh]

PASTE's review is pretty fair, I think. As usual.

[murlough23]

I wanna see bloop's review not that we know how he's rated it.

NP: "You Never Know", Rachael Lampa

[bloop]

I wanna see bloop's review not that we know how he's rated it.

NP: "You Never Know", Rachael Lampa

I haven't committed myself to doing one of those for a while.  I guess if I ever decided I was interested in doing that, I could put them on my blog, but I find it very taxing to do.  I don't like doing a track-by-track, but I do want people to get a good idea of the basic sound and theme of the album worded well.  It's the "worded well" part that I'm not always up to doing.

[murlough23]

I haven't committed myself to doing one of those for a while.  I guess if I ever decided I was interested in doing that, I could put them on my blog, but I find it very taxing to do.  I don't like doing a track-by-track, but I do want people to get a good idea of the basic sound and theme of the album worded well.  It's the "worded well" part that I'm not always up to doing.

How about an unofficial explanation either here or on your blog? It doesn't have to be a professional review; I'm just curious as to what made you like it, since I expected you to consider it average.

NP: "The Slam", Toby Mac feat. T-Bone