Elliott: False Cathedrals

Elliott: False Cathedrals

2000

Revelation records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Voices  2. Calm Americans  3. Blessed by Your Own Ghost  4. Drive on to Me  5. Calvary Song  6. Lipstick Stigmata  7. Dying Midwestern  8. Shallow Like Your Breath  9. Superstitions in Travel  10. Carving Oswego  11. Lie Close  12. Speed of Film


If "US Songs" provided an accurate snapshot of Emo '98, I feel "False Cathedrals" provides a perfect snapshot of Emo 2000. The original bands began struggling against the their own emo-ness and the spectre of serious music (read:Radiohead) as the cash-insters started infiltrating the scene and making it a clownish spectacle.   As a result, the whole thing becomes a fascinating ghost of itself. Pianos, ghostly keyboard washes and snatches of processed drums color the self-obsession.

All in all, I find myself enjoying "False Cathedrals" (especially its first half) slightly more than "US Songs," although I can't pretend that I don't miss the accessible sing-alongs that were that album's strength. "Blessed by Your Own Ghost" is no "Watermark High": The sugarbuzz is gone but the whole thing ultimately makes you feel more satisfied in the long run (stomach rumbles).  Man, that drumming on "Drive on to Me" is some of the best emo drumming I've ever heard! Good and dancey, skips beats to great effect. The drumming single-handedly elevates the song to the top of my Elliott playlist.

 Again, I find myself clocking out somewhere past the halfway mark. All this sumptuous seriousness does wear me down after awhile, although "Lie Close" does get me moving again and the closer "Speed of Film" is indeed awesome...Maybe I should only buy emo EP's? But this is my problem, If you're into the whole spectral beauty thing you'll probably go bonkers for it, though...It is cool and it's another fine album from the waning days of emo (right before it became the most rancid musical trash-heap known to humankind)...

Here's "Drive on to Me" by Elliott...Enjoy...