Sometimes we all need a break from it all. So that’s exactly what The Elected’s frontman Blake Sennett did. After an album and a tour with Rilo Kiley as guitarist/co-songwriter, Sennett planned to take a hiatus from music-making, but then it seems like it’s not possible to stay away for too long. Emerging in May 2011, Bury Me In My Rings is The Elected’s third full-length release since 2006’s Sun, Sun, Sun. And it’s a carefully crafted pop album, which is the perfect soundtrack for all those carefree times.
The album is fuzzy and warm with a soulful lilt to it. The woozy nostalgia of tracks such as “Born To Love You” and “Where Are You” seem perfectly at home on an old vinyl record or played as you drive down the highway at dusk with the windows down. Drawing heavily on the influences of folk and pop of years past but always maintaining a footing in the present, Sennett has written a fluid piece of work that feels simultaneously reminiscent and brand new. The melancholy of “Where Are You”, and the six-minute centerpiece ballad “This Will Be Worth It”, provide the real emotional drive to the record, inviting the listener in to connect with the feelings Sennett is pouring out for all to experience. A heavy focus on acoustic guitar melodies and steady drum beats allow for a full, enveloping sound thatwraps you in it’s embrace.
As a side project to a more well-known band, it may seem difficult to step out of the glaring spotlight, but it seems like Sennett has no problems there. His expertise in crafting catchy, but original and charming pop songs is quite evident here. Sennett may have taken a break from music for awhile, but you find a sweet reunion in Bury Me In My Rings, which helps you to take a break from the chaos and stress of the real world in the gentle sounds he’s made. – Taylor Lampala