Private Eleanor – No Straight Lines

Private Eleanor
No Straight Lines

Off the record, I had already decided I was going to like these tracks from Baltimore’s Private Eleanor before I heard them. Austin Stahl from the band runs OTPrecords who put out the amazing The Seldon Plan record which is still stuck on heavy rotation at our house. I figured anyone who released that album and was also in a band would probably sound pretty good in their own right. How right I was!

Initially a bedroom band project, Private Eleanor has grown to five members and has toured extensively around the country (hey, they played with our faves Dios Malos!) The music itself is an interesting blend of more restrained but nonetheless infectious indie pop and slightly dronier, slower stuff.

I haven’t heard the entire album yet, but on the basis of the 3 or 4 songs I listened to I’m going to have to go with my gut and say that the band that PE reminds me most of is American Analog Set. It has everything to do with Austin’s semi-hushed tones and vocal melodies, as well as the band’s overall tasteful restraint on everything from keyboards and bass to drums and other percussion (xylophone?) This was really apparent on a song like “Richmond” which was my favorite track from their new album “No Straight Lines”. There is a bit of a folksy or woodsy element to some of their songs, but I think that’s more of an accent than a genre that they play.

Other tracks like “Bed Of Nails” simmer along more slowly, and even sound a bit sultry with that bassline oozing all over the place. You know, I want to say that I hear the echoes of The Posies in the way that some of the melodies are put together on this song… but I’m not sure if I’m being influenced from our earlier assessment of The Seldon Plan. “Seventeen” is another great track with a driving beat and pop melody smarts that seems to further back up the Posies similarities. The simple, chiming guitars and tasteful piano were very nice on this one.

I also got a chance to check out some of the outtakes from the album, and on the Strawberry Fields’ inflected “Sing You, Softly” I finally heard the resemblance to Elliott Smith that I read of elsewhere. To be truthful, on the other album tracks I didn’t hear that similarity at all… the band has also been compared to Wilco, Beck, and Nick Drake as well and I didn’t really hear those either. There IS a bit of a Bryter Later Nick Drake inflection on one or two of the tracks though. Elsewhere, the slow-to-rockin’ outtake “I Think I’ve Heard This One Before” is like a bit like Red House Painters or Idaho. In any case, I’d definitely keep an ear out for this band…

Members:
Marian Glebes – voice, bells, percussion
Chris Merriam – drums, cymbals, percussion
Bruce Sailer – bass guitar
Austin Stahl – voice, guitars, other noises
Drew Stevens – various keyboard instruments

Visit the Private Eleanor website

by Tyranosaur