|
If lo-fi rock is what gives you a rise - and by the need for
The White Stripes' and The Fratellis' music soft rock
is high on peoples lists - then Illinois' recent album
What The Hell Do I Know? will be making its way into ipods
and record collections very soon. The Bucks County, Pennsylvania
natives have a way with mingling the country frequencies of the
banjo with melodic rock productions which make their songs as
catchy as Razorlight and as rock-infused as Modest Mouse.
Band mates Chris Archibald (guitar, keyboards, banjo, lead
vocals), Martin Hoeger (bass, backup vocals), Andrew
Lee (guitar, keyboards, backup vocals), and JohnPaul Kuyper
(drums) have assembled a debut EP that is lightweight and pleasing
with an indie-rock persuasion relatable to Days Away, and
rhythmic grooves that give the songs a tingling bounce in their
gaits like Albert Hammond Jr.'s material.
Tracks like "One On One" and "Nosebleed"
have a pop/rock fluidity that pays a great deal of attention to
the sonic plumage emerging from the guitar pedals and the curvatures
of the vocal melodies. "Screen Door" is a delightful
number with an alternative country flavoring on the indie rock
pulses, while the rock ballad "Alone Again" corrals
megaphoned vocals and lazy drifting guitar motions. Floating guitar
keys adorn the rhythmic grooves of "Headphones" and
form rolling clusters on "What Can I Do For You" while
the melodic chords on "Bad Day" have an uplifting feel
in their movements. Archibald's vocal timbres carry a Jack
White pitch and the caressive strokes of Christian Snowhite
from Love Arcade. His lyrics have a personable charm and
banter like on "Screen Door" when he greets "Hello
all you lovely ladies."
Illinois' debut EP What The Hell Do I Know? is soft-pop
filled with lo-fi rock and alternative country transfusions. The
music is easy on the ears and lightweight on the soul. The band
played SXSW 2007 and are scheduled to play Lollapalooza in August.
They finished a stint opening for The Kooks and are scheduled
to go on tour with The Hold Steady this summer. Soft-pop
is fairing pretty good by audience's estimations.
-Susan Frances
Track listing:
1. Alone Again
2. Nosebleed
3. What Can I Do For You
4. One On One
5. Screen Door
6. Headphones
7. Bad Day
Check out
more reviews
 Talk
Back
e-mail the chief
Like this article?
e-mail
it to a friend!
|
Illinois
