New York by way of New Hampshire. It’s the tagline on the blog/website of Aldenbarton, an indie rock outfit now based in Brooklyn, but it’s also sort of a tagline for their music, too. It’s rock, it’s piano-driven, it’s somehow rough and smooth at the same time. It’s got the knowledge of the city and the purity of something far, far away from it.

At the core of Aldenbarton is Andrew St. Aubin, a pianist and singer/songwriter who moved to New York from New Hampshire in 2004. He started playing solo shows under the name Aldenbarton while he was searching for musicians to play with. He eventually connected with Paul Bates (bass) and James Wood (drums), who filled out the Aldenbarton sound, who just released their debut EP Exodus of the Eldest on the Granite State Recording Co. label.

Though calling it piano rock wouldn’t be wrong, it wouldn’t be entirely accurate, either. Strong, straightforward piano melodies are at the heart of a lot of the songs, because Andrew St. Aubin is a pianist and he’s at the heart of Aldenbarton. But Paul Bates and James Wood are definitely heard, particularly on songs like “Hush” (available for listen on Aldenbarton’s MySpace) where the rhythm is so critical to the song, thus allowing the bass and the percussion to come center stage with the piano lifting lightly above the texture.

Check out “Brilliant Light” — it’s one of the tracks on the Exodus EP and it’s another example of this relationship Aldenbarton has created between the instruments. It’s a true three-piece, where no part is greater than the whole, and it makes for some great musical moments. And if you like what you hear, you’ll be happy to know that the band is already at work on a full-length album.

Aldenbarton – “Brilliant Light”

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