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If there’s one thing that’s clear, or
at least confirmed with the release of Hymn or Her,
is that Earlimart is a tight and cohesive unit,
where you can’t where tell Aaron Espinoza’s
guitar and vocal trails leave off and where Ariana
Murray’s ethereal and lovely harmonies
pick up. It truly feels like the core duo (along
with its cycling drummers and musical contributors)
are really in a groove, with only a one year time
span between this album and 2007’s highly
acclaimed Mentor Tormentor.
The lines within each song are blurred, releasing
in contrast crisp melodies and bright infusions
of dopamine. Starting with the jangle, pristine
beat of “Song For” and signature shine
of “Teeth,” Hymn and Her
seems to pick up where Mentor left off,
with the mirrored lake glide and vocals that sparkle
and refresh like an ice cold beer on a Africa
hot day.
But there is something about the intricacies
and attention to detail on Hymn that
subtly appears, bent with a stronger determination
and level of insight, both lyrically and musically.
The appearance of stark song structures on “Great
Heron Gates” expands and flowers, releasing
bursts of pollinated notes, which drift right
into the next track, “Cigarettes and Kerosene”
that emerges straight from a Bayou porch, complete
with birds chirping and a whiskey flavored guitar
surge. Or the title track, which begins with a
mellow, languid rhythm derived from a balmy church
Sunday in a South Carolina beach town, then builds
with escalating strings and a drum downpour.
When Murray takes vocal center stage on “Before
It Gets Better” and “Time for Yourself,”
we’re reminded of the strength behind the
somewhat demure style of vocals she projects,
where a line like “it’s a blood bath”
sounds inviting. One thing’s for sure, the
piano is her friend, and the lovely keyboard tinkles
seem to dance like an animated bird on her shoulder.
“Tell Me” on the other hand, echoes
with a flowing veil that seems to caress one’s
ear, tapping into the heartbeat of an aching cello,
ripe for a David Lynch soundtrack.
Yes, Earlimart has done it once again. Having
seen them only once when they played SXSW years
ago during their Treble & Tremble tour, I’m
pretty damn excited to hear these new tracks live
when I’m visiting San Francisco in September.
If you live in or are traveling to any of the
cities below, I suggest you do the same. You can
thank me later.
Upcoming dates with The Wedding Present:
+ Thursday Sept. 18 Casbah, San Diego
+ Friday September 19 Troubadour, Los Angeles
+ Sunday September 21 Great American Music Hall,
San Francisco
+ Tuesday September 23 John Henry's, Eugene
+ Wednesday September 24 Neumos, Seattle
+ Thursday September 25 Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
+ Friday September 26 Media Club, Vancouver
www.myspace.com/earlimart
-Kim Owens, August 13, 2008
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