Lo-fi junkies and lovers of all things acoustic rejoice; Elephants has just released their sophomore contribution, The Sea EP, onto the Boston music scene. The Boston duo released the EP earlier this month and is hoping to make their name known around the city. The four-track EP shows clear influences from Ted Leo and Elliott Smith, but with a stronger lo-fi feel. The third track, A Stone to the Rain, is probably the best example of this. The melodic lines and cadences remind me of a female Ted Leo if he were singing through a radio speaker. I found lead-singer Lauren Garant’s vocals to be one of the major highlights of the EP, held down by solid rhythm guitar work from both Garant and Ryan Young.
Perhaps my only negative criticism of the EP is that it seemed incomplete. I thought several of the tracks could be bolstered by rhythmic accompaniment (drums or other percussion) or filled out by additional instrumentation (keys, bass, etc.); even Elliott Smith decided to throw drums and other instruments in on his recordings from time to time.
As a whole, The Sea EP maintains a great vibe throughout and I am eager to see where Elephants decide to roam from this point forward. You can check them out live with Jeff Sheldon and The Four Point Restraints at All Asia in Cambridge, MA on Thursday, Dec.1. Show starts at 6:30pm, $10 for 18+; $6 for 21+.
–Daniel McMahon