Laughing City [ENHANCED] [EP]

Eisley

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 2003)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, EP
• Label: Record Collection
• ASIN: B000094Q4M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #79,549 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid debut, August 10, 2003

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Appearances can be deceptive. From just the look of Eisley's five members (on the back of this CD sleeve), you would think they were a teen pop group. But don't let the picture fool you -- they are one of the most promising and worthwhile rock bands in quite some time.

The five songs on "Laughing City" are certainly worth it. It kicks off with the slow-paced, meditative "I Wasn't Prepared," the more searing, rejection-themed "Telescope Eyes" ("please don't make me cry/I'm just like you I know you know/I'm just like you so leave me alone!"), the more upbeat and catchy "Tree Tops," dreamlike "Over the Mountains," and finishing off with the quiet, sweeter "Laughing City."

Harmonization sounds as easy as breathing to Eisley, which is saying something. The high, clear vocals synchronize perfectly with the swirling, rising guitar chords and layered keyboards; often the singing seems like an instrument itself, such as Sherri's soaring waver in "Over the Mountains." The result is music that is smooth and soothing, but not poppish.

The lyrics are even simpler, but they know their stuff. All written by the band (probably in their bedrooms -- one of the best places to write songs, they say), the songs brim over with evocative imagery ("with lightbulbs in our pockets/we light the darkened forests") mixed with deceptively simple lyricism, the sort that speaks of real talent rather than the same old stuff.

Currently touring with Coldplay, Eisley gives a dimension to rock that hasn't been explored enough. And it's clear, listening to "Laughing City," that they have plenty of dimensions to explore. If this is what these young musicians are starting off with, then their future stuff will be out of this world.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bright Future, May 30, 2003

By	S. Chamberlain (Rowlett, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Imagine for a moment that Bjork took her piano and electronic beats and got with Radiohead's more alternative sound. Mix that with a spice of the Beatles (yet again who doesn't) and you'll more than likely end up with Eisley. I had the pleasure of witnessing this band live twice. Once it was opening up for a local Dallas band (The Broadcast), and the second was opening up for Coldplay. Thats how fast this band's success has risen. "I Wasn't Prepared" starts the EP off in good fashion with mellow dramatic lyrics with the same type of music. "Tree Tops" is very reminiscent of Bjork's "Venus As A Boy" except with a more carnival feel and with guitars. "Over The Mountains" is probably the best cut on here and probably the catchiest song on the effort. Most of the time with EPs that are that good, it only gets better (Tool-Opiate, NiN-Broken). So i'd expect an even better outing with the full length. They have certainly risen the bar for the major label debut, but hopefully they can pull through. I'd totally recommend this for fans of Bjork, Radiohead, or Dredg. For the moment, this is pretty hard to find in any Best Buy or Circuit City. So i'd just buy it from cdnow if you don't want to go through the trouble.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars...... Incredible Debut EP, February 8, 2004

By	Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

So out of nowhere come a bunch of teenagers from Texas (4 siblings plus a friend, the female lead singer is 15, yes you read right) with this debut EP, which is nothing short of incredible. Musically, Eisley reminds me of a dreamier version of Sixpence None the Richer, with a splash of Poe and also Libbie Schrader (Think of England) for good measure.

"Laughing City" (5 tracks, 18 min.) starts of with arguably its weakest song, a tentative "I Wasn't Prepared", but after that all cylinders are on. "Telescope Eyes" comes on with a great guitar riff in the chorus. "Tree Tops" is the best song here, with great interplay between keyboards and guitar riffs. "Over the Mountain" is another hard-charging tune. The EP closes with the reflective title track, just beautiful.

Since the release of this EP in Spring 2003, Eisley released an equally stunning follow-up EP ("Marvelous Things") in late 2003. I can't wait for the debut album later this year. Meanwhile, by all means, buy this!