ECHOLYN

And frankly, when you're talking about a band that consistently produces good tunes and happy songs, that's never such a bad thing, is it?

It's still filled with good tunes and great jams, as "Islands" and "Headright" will attest to, but interesting surprises abound, such as "Locust To Bethlehem", which a slower, more lyrical and methodical piece, but not a ballad at all. Syncopated beats here and quick time signature changes there and lilting strings in the background, and it's all typical Echolyn.

"Some Memorial" also mixes things up a bit, throws in a lot of stutter-step beats and there's almost a slight echo of Glass Hammer and even Crosby, Stills and Nash here and there.It's not bad, but it's a bit too juttery for me. Also not for me is "Past Gravity", a 7 minute long ballad that, while nice, is a bit too long. Takes too long to get going, and then when it finally gets off the ground, I'm bored already.

VERDICT: It's a decent release, this self-titled work. Not my favorite, but there are some hits (mainly "Islands" and "Headright"). Overall, it's a much more tame album, certainly much more than "The End Is Beautiful", and also much more lyrically focused. Songs like "When Sunday Spills" and "Speaking In Lampblack" are tame, emotional efforts. More relaxing than the more technical "The End Is Beautiful" but also not as catchy and "jump right in" as "Mei" or "Cowboy Poems Free". In the end, it's a much more emotional release, with beautiful cascading string melodies and choral harmonies. Still a great album, it's just not immediately gripping or engaging to all who listen.

Share this ECHOLYN review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to Wicket
• Report this review (#1452765)
• Buy ECHOLYN music online with PA partners
• Show all ECHOLYN MP3/Stream
• Go to ECHOLYN page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Echolyn page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for ECHOLYN related discussions