Elliott
“False Cathedrals”
(Revelation Records)
Swirling and drifting and about as heavy as a cloud on a rainy day. Sweet without and ounce of sap (ok a little sap, but mostly just dreamy emo/indie rock). Emotionally tinged vocals that have a restrained warmth and sparse melodies dominate. Splashes of sampled beats/sounds play in and out as does the piano/keys element. Occasionally, the whole thing crashes down in a cascade of Radiohead proportions (and wholly earning the comparison without falling short).
Its got a certain frailness even when they are building the sweeping wall of slow motion big guitars (think shades of My Bloody Valentine). The tempos and arrangements tend to follow a similar blueprint, but the level of instrumentation, or more specifically who is dominating the vibe of a particular song, is what lends the air of range within the Elliott playlist. Standout musician is bassplayer Jonathan Mobley who often sets the mode with a classy smart bass run while the guitars trickle little notes inbetween (in the softer movements) while they pretty much hit the indie-rock ideal when they decide to step on the distortion pedals. Sincere and convicted with the feeling they mean every note they play, even if it might bruise a feeling or two.
