| Too short! The only flaw of last year's The Avenues EP is that you want way, way more. Earlimart has a beautiful understated quality, where unusual sounds come together and melt, like playful machine blips and languid strings, fuzzy, noisy guitars and the bright plunk of a xylophone. Aaron Espinoza's vocals are breathy and intimate, yet so powerful. Their sound is sure to appeal to fans of Elliot, Sparklehorse, Wilco, and The Postal Service… and would be the perfect soundtrack to a road trip through the eleventy billion miles of dusty straightaways and golden hills of central California, the backdrop of the town from which the band culled their name. The segues of "Interloper" into track 4 (which is untitled) and that song into the closer "Parking Lots" are as surreal (repetitive bell tolls, a scratchy snare, bird calls…) as they are imperceptible, almost as if the entire EP is all one elaborate piece. These guys like Postal Service excel at making a record that sounds less than perfect but is compelling for its lovely color and depth. A new record, Treble and Tremble, is due out late September 2004. |