Elliot Minor - Elliot Minor Review
Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 04.23.2008
One of the most eagerly awaited British rock debuts is finally here. Does it live up to the lofty expectations this band has set for themselves?
If ever there was a band that was the target of so much hate and venom before an album had even been released, it was Elliot Minor.
Track listing:
1. Time After Time
2. Parallel Worlds
3. The White One Is Evil
4. Liar Is You
5. Lucky Star
6. Jessica
7. The Broken Minor
8. Still Figuring Out
9. Silently
10. Running Away
11. Last Call To New York City
Running time: 46mins12secs
Take the kind of music these guys play out of the equation for a second and let’s look at what we are left with; a handful of very attractive young men, born and raised in York, England, all classically trained and all formal integral parts of their respective school choirs. Add to that the fact that their wealth was a large part of what got them a recording contract and that they supported McFly on their Greatest Hits tour at the end of last year and you half 80,000 rock fans who can’t believe a bunch of “pretty boy punks” like Elliot Minor would be added to the line-up of this year’s prestigious Download festival. It might not help that their voices make them sound like a Busted tribute band. Then again, Charlie Simpson did OK for himself in a rock environment.
And yet, there’s something that makes me look past their image and their somewhat dodgy vocals because upon first listen of single “Parallel Worlds” it is quite clear that there is something a little bit difference about this band. While the may have the look and sound that drives teen girls insane, they quite clearly have the talent to go with the hype. “Parallel Worlds” is a song written about memories of lead singer Alex Davies’ attic, which he and his friends believed to be haunted and was also the place where the band recorded early demos. The fast-paced, high-octane guitar work from Ed Minton drives the track forward but it’s the classic influence of the violin and keyboard that holds the track together. The same could be said for “Jessica”, probably the best track on the album. It’s written about actress Jessica Alba and highlights the band’s yearning for her. So despite they’re background and wealth they’re obviously human after all as I’ve yet to meet anyone who would turn down Miss Alba.
While the band obviously excels in putting a tremendous energy into their music, they also seem pretty well versed when it comes to getting those token ballads down. “Last Call To New York City”, the longest track on the album at 6:05, is probably Minton and Davies’ best vocal performance and Ali Paul is very prominent on keyboards. The song finishes with a slightly epic recording of a firework display that captures the whole essence of the song nicely. It’s a great way to close out the album and the kind of style Minor should look to develop in their later work.
But it is a debut that has obvious problems. There is a striking similarity between the vocal work of Minton and Davies and that of pop bands McFly and Busted and yet it is quite clear that those are not the type of bands they look to model themselves after. On the contrary, Elliot Minor’s biggest influence is Muse and there is definitely the odd Muse-esque moment coming from the keyboard of Ali Paul. It’s not quite “Butterflies and Hurricanes” but it’s something that would endear the band more to the audience that they are reaching out for. Furthermore, the band seems to struggle when going for that epic feel. Though “Last Call…” is a bit of gem, they just can’t capture that same vibe for “The White One Is Evil” or “Silently.” Having heard earlier demos, I’d say they took a step back during the final production of the album.
Minor fans have been waiting an entire year for this album to emerge. “Parallel Worlds” first got airplay in March of 2007, with an album constantly rumoured to be “on the way.” And then “Jessica” was released, soon to be followed by “The White One Is Evil” and “Still Figuring Out.” And yet there was still no sign of an album. When the album finally did hit shelves in the UK last week, the band’s fans pushed the album to an impressive No. 6 on the chart. With so much anticipation and damn good sales, this album has a hell of a lot of hype to live up to.
As far as debuts go, this one is pretty damn good. Elliot Minor will have the emo / pop punk audience swaying from side to side singing along to the likes of “Parallel Worlds” and “Still Figuring Out” but you still feel like there is a lot more to work on. The potential is obvious. Now it’s just a matter of how far Minor want to push their boundaries. Their UK chart success is proof that this band can repeat efforts like this for a while and be successful, but under the surface I get the feeling that this is a band capable of much more. Maybe snapping up the first recording deal that came their way was a mistake, because Neal Avron (Yellowcard, Fall Out Boy) obviously has a target audience and he’s nailed it with Elliot Minor.
The 411: Elliot Minor has a little something for everyone. With the looks and hooks of Fall Out Boy and the bewildering sound of Muse meeting McFly, this album will likely appeal to a lot of people. Bursting with youthful energy, this album provides a tremendous rock debut with classical undertones and is highly recommended. With only a few areas needing slight tweaking, this is a very encouraging debut from the York quintet and a sign of potentially big things to come.
