The first thing that stands out on Elevator Art's official biography is the fact that four of the five band members take on vocal roles. The outcome is an explosion of bluesy, percussion heavy rock pop sounds.
In "Punch & Judy" not only does the song have this incredible pace and potent opening, there is something Robert Plant about the vocals. In "Matryoshka" Elevator Art's ability to put together a song that builds evenly, and punches at the right moment. The beginning vocals are echoes of the strong harmony; the guitar orchestration that follows is coupled with the oh-so-nice percussion. This writer enjoyed the guitar work the most.
New Jersey Outfit
Elevator Art is comprised of Michael Jonin (vocals, guitar, bass), Daimon Santa Maria (vocals, guitar, keys, bass), Jennifer Mustachio (vocals, guitar, bass, percussion), Joseph La Scola (drums, percussion) and Maureen McGowan (vocals, guitar, percussion). While each team member is an outstanding musician in his or her ownright, the end result is a stellar presentation of invigorating rock music. And, while this East Coast-based band honors the club sound mixed with European threads, it is evident that these Tom River, New Jersey stars are capable of infiltrating any listener around the globe.
In "My Glass" female vocals are not exactly overdone, but the background orchestration is more enjoyable. This song didn't resonate with this writer. In "Blah Blah Blah" the easy to remember chorus is catchy. This is a fun song and all, but listeners should want more of the arrangement and musicianship found in "Punch & Judy" and "Matryoshka." "Blah Blah Blah" has a killer bridge and the percussion is perfect. This writer really wanted to like this song, but could not quite connect.
Into a Bizarre Headache
In "Peter Rabbit" the fast-paced Indie rock guitar cowards the vocals and erupts evenly and sounds the most punk. In a quirky sang "round" of sorts, "Peter Rabbit" is sonic bliss. Judging by the energy and raw layering, to hear this song live in concert would be a trip. "Peter Rabbit" is clustered noise; as it builds, the lyrics trail into a bizarre headache. Still, the listener cannot help but be engaged.
Two Songs Collide
"The Worst Song Ever" starts with a limp acoustic, and echoed vocals. During the middle, the song picks up quite a bit to an explosion of sonic guitars and muffled percussion. In a weird way, the song strips down to an electric round. After a few listens, this song is gritty. It is as if it two songs collide.
Fans of Cursive, Angels & Airwaves, Tilly & The Wall, Rilo Kiley, Tokyo Police Club, Semisonic and The Postal Service will dig Elevator Art. Keep in mind not all the songs are stellar, but there are certainly bright spots. Kudos for "Peter Rabbit" and "Matryoshka." With such a solid core of musicians, and powerful percussionists, it would seem the songs would garner bigger results. Unfortunately, it was not the case. Still, Elevator Art are worth a listen.
Melissa Kucirek - Melissa L. Kucirek M.A. University of Nebraska - Omaha (2004) B.A. University of Nebraska - Omaha (2001) I'm a freelance writer ...
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