It’s hard to come up with an adequate description for Earlimart’s sixth album, Hymn and Her. Do I consider it a near-perfect album? Absolutely. Could I listen to it over and over again? Absolutely not. The group’s music is well-crafted, to be sure, and Hymn and Her harnesses Earlimart’s early noise/psychedelic heritage and straps it next to the soft, dreamlike pop of its later albums without effort. But a little bit of Earlimart goes a long way, and all of their gorgeous melodies, intricate instrumental layering, and inspired rhythms can’t make up for the fact that I need a cold beer, the reassurance of friends, and, quite possibly, a comforting bowl of oatmeal after listening to them. But this is my problem, not Earlimart’s.
There are a few improvements on this album over last year’s Mentor Tormentor. Earlimart have done away with the uninspired, uninteresting drum-machine-manufactured beats that were so prominent on a few of the songs. They have also brought Ariana Murray to the front, and her soft, dark-brown voice compliments lead singer Aaron Espinoza’s whispered tones. Add to that rich horn and vibrant string arrangements, and it’s a sonic party. I wish I liked them more because I feel like I’m missing out. They make great music that I would never listen to, but whenever I do listen to them, I never feel like my time was wasted.
MP3 Download – “Song For”
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