As a music critic, one of the most frustrating feelings in the world is when I hear a band that I really like, but they aren't particularly good. The Elms is a band that personifies this dilemma nicely. On the one hand, The Elms' debut full-length record, Big Surprise, boasts insanely catchy melodies, simple-yet-effective instrumentation, and some overall satisfying lyrics. On the other hand, The Elms borrow heavily from the Beatles and other classic pop/rock bands, which makes their overall uniqueness rather low.
Most of you are probably recoiling already. A Christian band is bad enough, but Christian Beatles ripoffs? Oh, geeze. Well, actually, that label is not entirely correct. The Elms are very much what I would consider to be a Christian band, but then, I consider U2, Over the Rhine, and even Remy Zero to be "Christian," so don't count out The Elms just because of their spiritual background. And they aren't total Beatles imposters. It's just that it's very obvious that they love the Fab Four. Almost too obvious, at times.
For example, the album's second track, "Here's My Hand," is powered almost entirely by a lush arrangement of strings. It's a bit too similar to the famous Lennon/McCartney composition "Eleanor Rigby," which just so happens to be a strings-driven second song on Revolver. "Who Got the Meaning?" is another song that, while fun, is a bit too Beatles-esque. The horns in the bridge sound too much like something off of Sgt. Pepper or Magical Mystery Tour. Neither of these songs are bad, but The Elms would be a much better band if they'd keep their love for the Beatles under wraps a little better next time around.
Now that we have that part out of the way, on to the good: The Elms really know how to craft lovely pop songs. Every single track on Big Surprise could easily be a hit radio single. "Hey Hey," which has already gone to the #1 spot on the radio charts, features a hook that will have you singing the song for days. Same goes with "Lifeboat." And "A Minute to Ourselves." If you are the kind of person who can never fall asleep at night because you're singing annoying pop songs that you heard on the radio all night long... don't buy this CD.
Aside from the melodic pop tunes, The Elms also benefit from a healthy dose of Owen Thomas. Owen plays the roles of lead vocalist and lyricist in The Elms, and he handles both jobs capably. Vocally, Owen sounds a bit like Thom Yorke (Radiohead) at times, but he doesn't mumble and moan, so you can actually understand him. His voice is a bit rough around the edges, but surprisingly (har har) easy to listen to.
As a lyricist, Owen Thomas is not amazingly gifted, but his skills are adequate, and, at times, above average. The record's title track is by far the best lyric on the CD. I won't spoil the message for you, but it has some devilishly sarcastic lines like "find somebody who will paint you house and gloss them over to," and "I'm your hand grenade and your lemonade/ cause I'll blow up and leave you sour." Clearly, Owen has a good sense of humor.
Overall, the lyrics on Big Surprise are fairly clever. No other songs reach the sarcastic brilliance of "Big Surprise," but most songs are still good. In fact, the only poorly written lyric on the whole record is the chorus of "You're Glowing"- "If you're down the tracks I'll take a plane/ if you're in the sky I'll fly a plane." Rather predictable, at best. But then, in all fairness, many of the Beatles songs had stupidly simple rhymes, such as "Hello Goodbye." Hmm, another Beatles comparison- what a surprise (har har)!
Ok, all cheesy puns and Beatles yammering aside, The Elms really are a pretty cool band. Artistically speaking, I'd have to give them 2 stars, because of the aforementioned Beatles similarities. Personally, I'd like to give 'em a 4, simply because I have a lot of fun listening to their record. I guess I should be fair about this, though, and just give them a nice even 3 stars.
Josh's Score: 3/5
Mark's Score: 3/5
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Ken MuellerThere has been a lot of buzz about this album, with everyone talking about the infectious, intelligent pop of The Elms. Unfortunately, the disc does not live up to those expectations. The big surprise with "Big Surprise" is that it comes off like the latest in a long list of "Hey, look, I signed to a major CCM label" releases. Most of the buzz I have heard comes from their indie days, but now…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Bert GanglDespite the relative youth of its members, The Elms are hardly newcomers to the pop/rock scene. Founded in 1996 by siblings Owen and Chris Thomas, the band, then known as Just Visiting, spent several months playing concerts and festivals before entering the studio to record their first independent album, Gardenshow. The group's second indie album, Just Visiting, followed in 1998. After changing…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Aaron BellIt takes a special kind of music to be truly fun. This release from The Elms is that kind of music. It's summer music, the kind of stuff you put on at a backyard barbecue or a day at the beach throwing a frisbee around. It's fun! The opening track "Hey Hey" is a nice start with its mix of Euro-pop/rock and horns. It is a nice summer sound which would make the perfect addition to a summer…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Brian A. SmithIndiana quartet, The Elms, have the potential to be Christian rock's next big thing. With a style formerly dubbed "power pop," the band's debut album The Big Surprise captures nuances of well-known groups like PFR, The Waiting, Cheap Trick and The Replacements, while still managing to sneak in a distinctive sound sure to identify them. This is a band that will be all over Christian radio this…Similar sounding releases
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