Monday 20 July 2009
Polaris 09 Shortlist: Elliott Brood Mountain Meadows
(photo: Myspace)
Where to start with Elliott Brood?
If you read my previous post (and first) about the band, you’d know that I’m pretty much at the beginning with them anyway; after not really getting into their first album, Ambassador, I paid very little attention when they released the follow-up, Mountain Meadows last summer. My bad. As it turns out, a year later, Mountain Meadows has turned out to be one of my favourite albums of the moment, even though it’s “official” moment has somewhat passed.
It’s a testament to the album’s solidity that Elliott Brood has earned themselves a spot in this year’s Polaris short list even though it’s been out for a year already. Mountain Meadows is what I like to call “acid country”, a genre that is distinctly Canadian in my opinion. I’d even go so far as to group The Rural Alberta Advantage into that category, too, but the distinct difference with Elliott Brood is that they’ve embraced not just the attitude but the style. Does that make sense? I liken it to someone who plays the part of a gangster in a movie: they can either just put on the costume and assume the pose when the director yells for action, or they can live the part off camera for the duration of the film’s shoot and immerses themselves in the role, losing themselves. I guess it’s method music-making. Elliott Brood aren’t just playing the part, they are the real deal.
I mentioned in that first post that I felt Ambassador suffered from poor production values, and I still believe that to be the case. Mountain Meadows crisp, clean sound gives the songs a pep and liveliness that really bring them to life. It’s been said in many a publication that Mountain Meadows captures the live Elliott Brood experience much better than Ambassador ever did. That means a lot to me, because I find when a record relies on to many studio effects and tricks that the band can’t support on stage, you lose the sense of who and what the band is all about. On Mountain Meadows, what you get is what Elliott Brood give, and what Elliott Brood give is 100% gold.
They never made it onto any of my Polaris ballots, but that has to do with how late I came to this album; if I’d been on the ball all along, I know that Elliott Brood would have been on my list.
Mountain Meadows is released by Six Shooter Records.
MP3: Elliott Brood “Miss You Now”
Myspace: Elliott Brood
Buy: Elliott Brood Mountain Meadows
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Polaris 09 Shortlist: Elliott Brood Mounatin Meadows | Adobe Tutorials July 30th, 2009 at 4:20 am
[...] (photo: Myspace) Where to start with Elliott Brood ? If you read my previous post (and first) about the band, you;d know that I’m pretty much at the beginning with them anyway; after not really getting into their first album, Ambassador , I paid very little attention when they released the follow-up, Mountain Meadows last summer. My bad. As it turns out, a year later, Mountain Meadows has turned out to be one of my favourite albums of the moment, even though it’s “official” m More here: Polaris 09 Shortlist: Elliott Brood Mounatin Meadows [...]