9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This band needs out of their garage and into your playlist, May 31, 2005
This review is from: Broom (Audio CD)
BROOM is clever and unique from start to finish. An eclectic mix that reminds me of catchy Beatles pop meets the lyrical wit and stylings of Weezer. I find myself singing along and wishing there were even more. I'm living in the busy music scene of downtown Seattle, and am astounded to find one of the best releases of '05 from Springfield, Missouri. You won't be disappointed.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Missouri's Last Chance...maybe, May 28, 2006
This review is from: Broom (Audio CD)
I know practically nothing about Boris Yeltsin. The things I know would hardly form a paragraph. The details are bleak. I know he is Russian, still alive, and was a big piece in ending the communist regime in Russia. I have recently learned that he broke his femur this last September, his major in college was construction, and, of late, has stated how he wishes to return to the centrally run political apparatus of the Soviet-era.
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is easily stated as an odd name .For a while there I did that thing where I questioned how a band with such a long name could even be relevant. This idea seems extraneous but I must questions stupid things like this. If I don't, I have this idea that I could be missing the point. I assume the band wished to communicate something with this title they have taken. At the moment that point seems unclear.
I read about SSLYBY online. I was going through my usual music blogs with their free MP3's. While on Catbirdseat, I came across a write up on `House Fire' and `Lower the Gas Prices, Howard Johnson' was attached. I picked up both and both came to me at the perfect time in my life.
The band has released 2 EP-ish things, to my knowledge. They had Gwyn and Grace then something else with Michael Holt. There is also another album that I have that doesn't ever seem to be mentioned; though I guess it could be Gwyn and Grace. It was given to me by my soccer coach Colby Elbert and features a couple of members who are no longer involved with the band, for whatever reasons. Their work has been consistently solid but each album seems to take it up another notch (<--isn't that such an overused phrase??)
Broom is sad in a happy way, like at a funeral when old stories of a glorious life a relived with tears and smiles. Each track on this album deserves its own little description and anecdote but I just can't do it. `Pangea' is the fun happy jump-off tune. `What'll We Do' causes rain to pour on Saturdays in September. `Anna Lee' puts off the same tone as Elliot Smith's `Needle In the Hay'. `Anne Elephant' feels like vaudeville with the indie touches, but in a good way. `Gwyneth' is the song that embodies the time when you've been on a long successful voyage and you've finally made it home, and you get to tie down the ship after the celebration the whole ride home. The best song on the album, `House Fire', will someday end a Wes Anderson film.
SSLYBY is a solid band with a great future. They've got the right mix of pop influences, including The Shins, Of Montreal, Damien Rice, a little Bill Withers, and the spaciousness of Spoon. They also used handclaps, which is a huge plus in my book. Broom is easily on my top 10 for the year 2005.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An album you don't want to pass up., October 25, 2006
This is one of the greatest albums to be released in the past few years. If you're a fan of The Shins, Wilco, etc, then Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's (SSLYBY) album Broom is a must buy. Every song is terrific, and you'll find yourself listening to the entire album on repeat.
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