Elliott Brood preview
Schubas, Chicago
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Mountain Meadows, the second full-length album from Canadian trio Elliott Brood, was inspired by a 19th-century massacre that took place in Utah. Using this bloody and haunting event as their launching point, the band take their “death-country” to a sophisticated level.
Keep in mind the band is not a group of historical storytellers, but instead uses the confusion and horror that surrounded the Utah event as a springboard for their own themes on the album. While there are stand out tracks (“Write It All Down For You,” “Garden River,” Fingers And Tongues”), Mountain Meadows is at its best when experienced as a whole, and the music, well, it’s best when experienced live.
Mark Sasso’s raspy voice and driving guitar work leads you down the band’s dusty road and the tongue-in-cheek delivery of the lyrics keeps you nodding your head. Tom Waits, anyone? The rest of the band includes Casey Laforet, who shows his versatility on multiple instruments like banjo and ukulele, and Stephen Pitkin on percussion. Pitkin’s use of suitcases and old toasters on the some of the tracks strengthens the band’s beatnik attitude. Their creative use of these instruments keeps the music fresh and surprising while staying true to their folk-rock and bluegrass roots.
Wooden Sky and Speck Mountain open.
— Jack Callahan
Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly
