A number of us have been listening to Eisley for years and really enjoy
their music. However, it seems that Eisley is somewhat of an acquired taste,
for not everybody is so impressed. Luckily for the band, though, they do
have tons of fans, including famous people like Coldplay and New Found
Glory. Don't miss their "Summer Scenic Tour" featuring one of our favorite
new bands, Lovedrug. In addition, check out our interview with The Swift as
well as a retro review from Switchfoot on cMusicWeb.com.

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ROOM NOISES - EISLEY (2005)
by Hollie Stewart

I first heard of Eisley (back when they called themselves Moss Eisley) on a
dark, humid night in Dallas, TX. I was enchanted immediately, especially by
the haunting plea found in "Telescope Eyes." Even on the flight home
several days later, the chorus of "Please don't make me cry / I'm just like
you, I know you know / I'm just like you, so leave me alone" rang through my
brain like a loose school bell. This was the music of recess during young
school days, and an aura of innocence covered the siblings and childhood
friend while they were on stage. Now, three years later, the children's
storybook feel remains like the brisk smell of freshly cut grass. The room
noises one hears in this album are ones of childhood, of young love, and of
a modern Alice dancing through her Wonderland.

What draws me into this dream world is the vocal work of sisters Sherri and
Stacey DuPree. Their harmonies are such that one spends time listening to
how they phrase their vowels rather than trying to hear the words. It takes
a little bit to grow accustomed to the somewhat nasal vocal style the
sisters embrace. But once I realized the style complimented the fairy-tale
environment, the project grew on me, much like the "mermaid-entwined
shrubbery" mentioned in "Marvelous Things." The music itself is quite
normal when compared to the vocals. The only instruments that really invoke
a dreamy place are the light keyboards on songs like "Telescope Eyes" and
the slide guitar on "Golly Sandra." The vocals themselves remain the real
crux of this band.

The lyrics captured my heart next, because they read more like postmodern
poetry than modern rock love songs. "I Wasn't Prepared" talks of bees
wrapping themselves around the speaker, "and that's when I spoke a word to
have them trace your face for me in pollen." "Marvelous Things" describes
"horses growing out the lawn." In "Brightly Wound" we see the declaration,
"I shall never grow up / Make believe is much too fun / Can we go far away
to the humming meadow?" This desire to remain child-like does not mean they
embrace naïveté. Songs like "Plenty of Paper" and "One Day I Slowly Floated
Away" take a musical and lyrical turn into nightmares. There's talk of the
land "of men and machines," a place where "identical hands" do our every
bidding ("Plenty of Paper"). A sense of death exists in lines like, "Our
bodies are growing thin" ("One Day I Slowly Faded Away").

Overall, Room Noises remains an album of lullabies – the musical version of
Hans Christian Anderson, where anything is possible. After listening to
this album, I'm delighted to see the young musicians still residing in a
place of dream. Their innocence is a delightful change from the
ever-present realism found on most other recordings.

Read more about Eisley at their official website:
http://www.eisley.com/


MORE NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Interview: The Swift
http://cMusicWeb.com/features/swift

Review: The Legend of Chin - Switchfoot
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/switchfoot/legendofchin.shtml


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