Moroni's Review of Eisley's "Currents"

Previous to purchasing "Current", I had not heard much by Eisley - a group from Tyler, Texas that consists of four siblings and one cousin.  Around 2007, I had a friend who gifted me one of their songs on a mix CD, saying that they sounded a bit like Throwing Muses.  And they do.  They also remind me of other '80s and '90s acts like the Sundays, Belly, and the little-remembered Downey Mildew.

So I have this little OCD thing.  If I purchase a download, I will put it on queue on my phone until I have a chance to listen to it.  And I won't listen to it until I have a chance to sit and listen to it in its entirety.  Many times I keep the music on rotate.  Periodically, I would come across a song by Eisley, and, being the stubborn individual that I am, I would skip the song.  But what I heard gave hints to me that this would become one of my favorite albums.

And it has.

With a name like "Currents", this record has many marine references.  It is soft and languid like lolling on blue-green waves on weathered dinghy.

The album starts out with the title track, "Currents", which starts out with Stacy King's quavering voice and a dulcid piano waltz, and then bleeds into a bridge with a textured lead guitar, and then changes again into a catchy melody, its rhythm driven by an acoustic guitar.

This whole record is piano-driven, interlaced with the beautiful harmonies of the three sisters.  There are several songs that are reminiscent of Tori Amos, especially from her "Scarlet's Walk" album.  These songs include "Blue Fish", "Drink the Water", "Real World", and especially "The Night Comes".  The latter song consists of haunting vocals, an acoustic guitar, and a chamber orchestra.  It is so beautiful it makes the heart ache.  Most of this album is like this.  My favorite song is "Save My Soul" - another song carried by the vocal arrangements.  This song is the closest they come to rocking hard.

I know that I have drawn many comparisons to other artists.  But, really, this band owns their own sound.  They are breathtakingly original, and this album will go down as one of my favorite records of this year, of all time, maybe.  These melodies will captivate you, and, if you let them, they will wrap you in nostalgia.  For me, it will remind me that - during a difficult time of my life - there was some beauty.  I can't wait to explore their back catalog.