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Album Reviews

When I first heard Eisley back in December of last year supporting The Rocket Summer at Trees I was hooked before I even heard a note. Reading who they cited as influences (Kent, Sigur Ros, Travis, Rufus Wainwright, Clinic, and The Smiths just to name a few) was like a breath of fresh air. For a band from Texas to have such an amazing taste in music is extremely rare. It’s nice to have a band like Eisley out there to infiltrate a world contaminated with the likes of, well, not to name names, but pretty much anything on a commercial radio playlist.

 Marvelous Things is the second EP out of the Tyler based band. Out in stores December 9, this too-short four song collection is filled with catchy melodies, swirling background guitars, and rich atmospheric sounds. The method in which singer Stacy uses her voice as an instrument (especially during the infectiously catchy title-track) gives them a distinctive indie sound reminiscent of Slowdive and some of the other great shoegazer bands of the early '90's. With the voices so much on the forefront, it’s hard to believe that there are two guitars behind them because you simply don’t notice them much. Not to say that you need a catchy guitar riff, but it doesn’t hurt to have one from time to time.

Unlike the last EP, Laughing City, this effort primarily showcases youngest member Stacy’s voice. At the ripe old age of 15, she has a very mature voice, slightly deep at times (in a good way), and she can also hit those high notes with ease. “Memories” has some great two-part melodies and again puts Stacy’s voice on the forefront. Sounding a little timid previously, it seems she is gaining vocal confidence, and sounds much too good not to have sung more on previous efforts. Singer and guitarist Sherri has an exceptionally unique voice, but often treads dangerously close to Evanescence territory in this one. It can be slightly brash at times, especially in a song so calm and sugary.

"Sea King", is a jaunty song with plenty of ambiance, dream-like guitars, lush harmonies and the precise tinkling of the drums. Innocent lyrics like “Sea King, can’t you see that you’re so silly?” are juxtaposed against ones with more life experience in love like, “I know things, and without love you won’t get far.”

The EP wraps with "Winter Song", a song featured on the Maybe This Christmas Too? compilation. It’s the most complex sounding, complete with layers of keyboard goodness, jingle bells, and (gasp) a short guitar solo near the end. This song gives a different vibe than the rest, and one of the most grown-up sounding songs they have done yet and gives much hope and anticipation to their full-length hopefully out next year. They’re still a young band, in both age and experience, and it will be a fun journey to see what they will evolve into. It’s hard to believe that in five or ten years they will still be singing of magical creatures and whatnot, but at least they won’t be throwing televisions through hotel windows.
 

~Julie Harrison

Think of haunting harmonies, lighthearted lyrics, and the brilliance of youth. That combination makes up the Texas-born band Eisley, in accordance with their latest release and major label debut, Marvelous Things EP. The band is comprised of four siblings and their friend. With influences like Radiohead, Coldplay, Phil Collins, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Sunny Day Real Estate, etc., there is much to be expected from this charismatic quintet.

Right from the get-go, it’s easy to see that the DuPree sisters- Stacy, 15, Sherri, 19, and Chauntelle, 21- are sending you on a somewhat whimsical journey of the imagination with alluring guitar/piano collaborations and lyrics like “I followed a rabbit/through rows of mermaid entwined shrubbery” from “Marvelous Things.” The vocal swirling from Stacy throughout the song is bone-chillingly beautiful and refreshing. Weston DuPree, the brother, charms us with his catchy drumbeats and Jonathan Wilson, a good friend of the family, keeps the band rooted with his enigmatic bass parts. Simplistic but exquisite, “Marvelous Things” is breath of fresh air.

Jumping into the next song, “Memories” tells a story of sorts, describing a woman who has lost her husband: “…the woman absent mindedly begins to sow/how she sows the seeds her husband loved so much/but he's no longer here with us.” The seeds grow into beautiful things that remind her of her husband, eventually bringing her to meet him again. Lyrics like these reveal to listeners that despite their youth, Eisley has the capacity to describe events that go beyond their age.

Track three, “Sea King,” also tells a story, this time about a cold hearted, and also rather selfish, sea king that lives his life without love. “Sea King, can’t you see that you’re so silly? /Sea King, I know things, and without love you won’t get very far.” The piano sets the scene and gives the song a great ‘under the sea’ feel. It’s songs such as this that bring out the fantastical beauty of child-like innocence.

“The Winter Song” is the clincher, bringing out something akin to melancholy happiness. Their carefully mixed piano and guitar parts team up and form a union, never overbearing or obnoxious. The serene beauty of the song- “Snowflakes on my lashes/Oh, starry night/I was walking and singing this song”- is really the perfect way to end a stunning series of songs.

In a futile attempt to categorize Eisley, I’ve seen associations with indie rock, melodic chick rock, modern rock with pop sensibility, and even comparisons to the early 90s alt-rock era. Labels aside, pick up Marvelous Things, get yourself an earful of Eisley and indulge. It’s worth a listen or ten.

~Shannon

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