My initial interest in Elk City was sparked by word that former Luna guitarist Sean Eden had joined the band. While he couldn't just go off and do anything he wanted, a former member for a critically acclaimed, moderately successful band like Luna could surely pick and choose his spots, so joining a band I'd never heard of seemed like a pretty solid endorsement.

I was distressed upon opening the band's latest disc, New Believers, to see that Eden only played on three of the 11 tracks. He was an 11th hour addition, it seemed, and would probably have had little impact on the overall sound. I needn't have worried. The core duo of Renee LoBue and Ray Ketchem need no assistance to create a compelling, crafty collection of songs that seem beholden to no specific genre. Because LoBue handles the vocals, the natural tendency is to draw comparisons to other female-fronted groups. What really sticks out is a girl group and/or Brill Building vibe. There is a classicism at work here that clashes tastefully with the hipster/modern musical approach. The result is a disc full of songs that balance the tension of incongruity with the feeling that every subsequent note in a song is the only note that could have come at that time.

Things start with a bang with "Cherries in the Snow," a rocking little number with simplistic lyrics that nonetheless get lodged in your head. The chorus is essentially a series of "Ooh la las" are pushed along by Ketchem's pulsing drums and one of Eden's few solos, clanging bells recalling Phil Spector or Brian Wilson. From there the disc maintains interest effortlessly, shifting stylistically just enough to make each subsequent song sound fresh while keeping the overall feel of the record consistent.

The hook here is LoBue's voice. Hers is not a classically beautiful voice, but it works wonderfully in this context. When she pushes it, reaching for a note really just of her reach on "My Type of Criminal," the subtle grit that creeps in gives the song a sense of character that no radio-ready diva could match.

Labels: music, TuesdayTuneup