Customer Reviews

Room Noises

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It turns out the old saying is true: The family that plays together, stays together. Four siblings and their best pal make up indiepop group Eisley, whose debut EPs hinted at what they could do. And "Room Noises" certainly proves that their airy, whimsical pop was worth the long wait for.

Some of the songs are from those EPs, although they sound a bit tighter and smoother. For example, the heartbreaking ode to the bullied, "Telescope Eyes," or the prettily whimsical "Marvelous Things." Despite the airy poesy of the songs, there's a distinctly melancholy streak through the album, which peaks at the very beginning: "Memories," a haunting song about a woman mourning her husband's suicide.

Despite a few EP songs, they also have quite a few new songs, like the enchantingly sunny "Golly Sandra," which has echoes of the Beach Boys. But the sparkling pop vibe continues in other songs, carried over in piano melodies and smooth guitar riffs. "Still floating soft/I am dreaming and I'm glad I lost/And still with my fingers/I'm drawing circles in the water," the song goes, as fluid as the water it talks about.

That mixture of bittersweetness and innocent optimism is what makes Eisley so darn appealing. Nowhere are the stereotypical I-just-wanna-have-fun or my-boy/girlfriend-dumped-me-and-now-I-wanna-swim-with-the-toaster music for THIS pop band. While they have some love songs, the emphasis is on their enchanting kind of whimsy.

That whimsy carries over into just about whatever they sing about, whether it's Sherri and Staci singing about dragons in the woods, sunlight and butterflies, or metal teeth and "telescope eyes." Some of the lyrics seem to stray into Flaming Lips-type surrealism, but are also grounded by simple sentiments like, "You have shining eyes, yes like those forest lights, and it makes me want to cry."

After the past few years, with the group rapidly moving out of the teen bracket, one would wonder if Stacy and Sherri Dupree's angelic vocals would have gotten... well, not so pretty. No problem with that -- they sound a bit like younger versions of Beth Gibbons or perhaps Hope Sandoval. The two girls even interplay their vocals in on song, with remarkable skill and spine-tingling results.

At the start of one song, the line "Congratulations, we've finally made it" is sung. And so Eisley has -- and this promising band only shows signs of getting even better in albums to come.

5 Stars if you're new to Eisley; 4 Stars for the rest of us

Eisley has released 2 EPs in early and late 2003, the excellent "Laughing City" and "Marvelous Things". For whatever reason, it's taken over another year for the release of their debut album. The band is in my book one of the best new bands out there, and Coldplay's Chris Martin is a big fan as well (Eisley opened for Coldplay on part of their 2003 US tour).

"Room Noises" (12 tracks, 41 min.) is full of dreamy, yet very catchy songs, not unlike, say, Sixpense None the Richer. The best songs are in the first half of the album, including the opener "Memories", "I Wasn't Prepared", "Memories" (the standout track of the album), and "Brightly Wounded" with great intertwining vocals from the sister lead singers. Other great tracks are "Plenty of Paper", a great up-tempo song, and the closer "Trolley Wood".

What keeps me from giving this 5 stars is that 4 of the songs are rehashed from the 2 EPs (in newly recorded versions), and that's disappointing to a degree for those of us that have followed Eisley from the beginning. We want more new songs! Finally, the Amazon listing shows a bonus track (a remixed version of "Lost at Sea") but the CD I bought doesn't have it, hmmmm... Regardless, Eisley is a breath of fresh air in today's music scene. Eisley is coming to Cincinnati shortly and I can't wait to see them live! "Room Noises" is highly recommended!

What a great Indie band! they are from my home town and I have met the members on multiple occasions. However, though I love the new album, I feel that they have been a bit screwed over by the studo. The songs that made their indie career are now completely over-produced, many of them spen up beyond belief (Like Telescope Eyes, which used to be nicely mellow yet driving, is now just fast). Also, the music has lost a bit of its genuine lo-fi indie endearing quality. The music is no less amazing than it was, but I believe that the EPs are a must for anyone truely wanting to enjoy Eisley.

After catching an Eisley show recently, I became instantly hooked. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this cd. And let me just say, it is simply amazing. Every track has lots to offer, combining dreamy vocals and pianos with catchy guitars. Its so different from anything I've ever heard, and thats what makes Eisley such a great band. Some of the stand out tracks include "Telescope Eyes"-an extremely catchy tune in which the vocals nearly reach out and grab you, "Golly Sandra"-another catchy one, a little more upbeat and different than alot of the other songs on the cd, "I wasn't prepared"-a more intimate song in which The vocals are really unique and pleasing to the ear, and and my personal favorite - "Marvelous Things"-I have never heard anything like this, it is simply stunning. This cd is definately a fantastic buy. Worth every single penny.

The producers were here alright, most obviously on their 4 songs that were released on the earlier EPs. Production is not bad, but the attempts to make Eisley's music more accessible, less eclectic, and catchier worked. The music will never be entirely mainstream radio-friendly, but on some tracks, the producers were unsubtly pushing in that direction. I would buy both EPs ("Marvelous Things" and "Laughing City") in addition to this album, if you want the rawer versions.

Lyrics filled with fantastical imagery, such as magical woods, mermaids, butterflies, pollen and rippled water provide the backdrop for Eisley's themes. Voices to match. Stacy and Sherri have noteworthy voices separately, but their interlaced melodies and harmonies, no one else sounds like this. It is particularly impressive that Stacy, just turned age 16, sounds slightly-raspy alto with mild psychedelia.

I sincerely enjoy every single track on the album.
(1) "Memories" is a misty, nostalgic weeper with harmonious hope.
(2) "Telescope Eyes" is practically twice the speed here, with an omitted verse, this anthem chorus of a song whizzes by. Eisley did not want this song on the album originally, but the producers pushed for it, knowing this would be most likely to become a single. We all know how "first single released" is rarely an accurate indication for public debut as to the essence of the band. Case in point: "Yellow" by Coldplay or "Creep" by Radiohead.
(3) Sherri's vocals soar on "I Wasn't Prepared" that I stand in wonder how she pulls off this song night after night on tour.
(4) "Golly Sandra" is so addictively indie slide-guitar that it evokes the same reaction from me as "Gone for Good" by The Shins does. I read one review that the song made him want to stutter the beginning of every word - I completely agree.
(5) "Marvelous Things" is the child of children who obsessively read Lord of the Rings, dragons, and other fantasies.
(6) "Brightly Wound" is fairly simple in concept, but the harmonies and delayed interplay... that is Eisley's aural trademark.
(7) The original version of "Lost at Sea" makes me wonder why a remix of this song was included at the end. I purchased the album without the extra track, and I'm glad, because the magic ending of "Trolley Wood" is near-killed with the remix.
(8) The constant flux of minor-major chords in "My Lovely" paired with a driving beat, makes one of the more head-bopping rockable tracks.
(9) The most acoustic track on the album belongs to "Just Like They Do," which highlights Stacy on guitar instead of her usual Rhodes. A beautiful ballad.
(10) I had read "Plenty of Paper" sounds as if it belongs in some Tim Burton film. Nothing to add, because it is just that eerie-fun.
(11) Do not let the sparse slow introduction of "One Day I Slowly Floated Away" deceive you. This band rarely leaves music that straightforward.
(12) When I heard the finger-snapping beginning of "Trolley Wood," which then continued on, I fell in love with this song. One of the catchiest songs and personal favorite to have the word "hallelujah" included, not intended as blasphemy.

4.5 out of 5 stars. There's growth potential, and I am excited about their future.

Additional note: Having seem them live in concert 3 times now, these kids are so incredibly humble, unassuming and kind, I wish them all the best.

Eisley's sound is ethereal, wistful, and refreshing. It's also rather inventive, and you'll find yourself getting lost in the winding harmonies of the two sisters. For pleasant, inspiring music that doesn't lose its appeal after repeated listens, Eisley delivers.

Check out "Lost At Sea" if you wanna get a taste of their music before you buy. You'll definitely be craving more of this gem of an indie band.

Eisley is purely amazing.

Three sisters, a cousin and a friend define this whimsical band, with breathtaking airy vocals, the surreal like lyrics, dreamy but wholeheartly touching at points.

From Memories, to Trolley Wood, Room Noises is by far one of the few albums that never gets old.

Its true. Eisley simply glows.

Whimsy, carefree beats mixed with mysteriously melancholy lyrics provides you with such a sensation that it might take a few tries to get used to it.

I've only heard of Eisley for a few weeks, but I'm already in love. I preordered Room Noises from Amazon, and it still hasn't arrived, and I'm ticked about that, but I found all of the tracks on Napster, so I've still gotten to listen to them all.

But my fingers still itch to actually touch the CD!

I love all of these songs! The only two I have problems with are "I Wasn't Prepared" and "Telescope Eyes".

The beginning of Marvelous Things sounds a little shaky in this version, but then it relaxes and sounds beautiful.

Eisley is such a relief to my ears from most of the music that's floating around television.

I hate that people are comparing Eisley to Sixpence None the Richer, as I find Sixpence None the Richer blatantly annoying, and I think they have no sense of creativity - as far as I know. All the songs I've heard from them are covers, and I've heard the originals. They sound exactly the same except that a woman's singing, honestly. If you're making a cover, at least change it a BIT.

Anyway, back to Eisley.

Some songs sound distinctly sunny, such as "Trolley Wood" and "Golly, Sandra", but after a few listens your ears catch the lyrics and you realize Eisley is much more than some sunny, "everything's perfect" band.

Here are my specific comments about each song.

Memories ~ 5/5! Really, really beautiful. Sad and touching, yet with a strange sort of happiness. Sherri and Stacy's vocals blend so marvelously together, yet have such constrast in this song. Its simply beautiful. When one of the sisters sings "I'm always wondering where you are", it takes your breath away. This song is about a dead farmer and his wife, who share a conversation and she truly realizes that he's gone, but knows her life is still beautiful. "Distant though I am/Orange, gold, and green/Firing, flaming, colors surround me"

Telescope Eyes ~ 4/5! Telescope Eyes is a much more poppy song than the previous, but still beautiful. However, it strikes me as a bit too over-produced, and most of the lyrics are sort of spoken-sung. "I'm just like you, so leave me alone!"

I Wasn't Prepared ~ 3/5! Although this is a beautiful song, I have to admit it gets very tedious and hurts my ears, actually. "When the morning came/The bees flew down and/Wrapped themselves around me"

Golly Sandra ~ 5/5! I love the sunny music and vocals in this song, and how the lyrics, when you read them without listening to the music - actually sound rather pleading. "Well I guess I have should have been around/To sing you to sleep/You look so beautiful/It hurts me slightly"

Marvelous Things ~ 5/5! I like how Stacy's voice at the beginning sounds rather shaky, but blends into the song later on, as well as Sherri's. This version sounds much, much less produced than the version shown in the video. This song is so whimsical and full of fantasy, I love it! "I followed a rabbit/Through rows of mermaid-entwined shrubbery" and "Oh what marvelous things/But they are/They are/They are/Giving me the creeps" have to be my favorite lyrics in this song. The latter I find pretty amusing, actually. I can picture "mermaid-entwined shrubbery" so clearly in my mind, and it seems like such a marvelous thing to picture. This song, really, is a marvelous thing within itself.

Brightly Wound ~ 5/5! This song has such a Peter Pan approach to it! I love it so much. It is also very whimsical, like Marvelous Things. I love the part of the song where Stacy and Sherri are singing different verses in unison. "I hold sunlight/and swallow butterflies/and it makes me want to cry."

Lost At Sea ~ 5/5! This song goes a bit faster than the previous songs, I think. This song is also very beautiful, and very uplifting. Eerily beautiful. "Congratulations/Cause we've made it/All the way home/All the way home/And you know that/Until the stars fall/I will always love you/I will always love you"

My Lovely ~ 5/5! An extraordinary song with flowing vocals and some parts have rougher music than most of the songs mentioned above. A love song, presumably. "Here's a song for you, lovely/
Remember that it is for you only/for you only."

Just Like We Do ~ 5/5! This song sounds slightly eerie, it reminds me of a mother talking to a child. Beautiful, as usual. "The rain, it tumbled down/Through the cracks in the sky/
Which made your hands grow/Watch your hands grow"

Plenty of Paper ~ 5/5! The warped beginning adds to the slightly eerie and whimsy tone of this song. The words are melancholy yet light. I love the lyrics in this song, they're absolutely amazing. Dreamy, yet alert. "I cut the moon in half/And stuck a piece through my hair/It made the back of my head glow/Golden yellow"

One Day I Slowly Floated Away ~ 5/5! You're getting tired of this, aren't you - but this song is really, really beautiful. "Glimpsing the peeling paint/Of the nurse's ivory chin"

Trolley Wood ~ 5/5! I love the clapping and snapping of fingers in this song. It adds a lot to the carefree mood of the song, but the song is partly sad. "Out one day/walking one day/out one day, with you hallelujah/We found a wood and then we unfound a wood"

A lot of people won't like this record, I know that, but I love it immensely and I hope that Eisley will soon get the recognition that they deserve.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10!

This is, by far and away, my favorite album. I didn't expect it to be. The first thing I heard from this band was the Marvellous Things EP, which I purchased at the suggestion of my little brother (who listens to everything from Mudvayne to Primus). The next morning I purchased Room Noises, which had just been released. I didn't expect Eisley to be this good. I didn't expect to be captivated by haunting female vocal harmonies; I didn't expect to fall in love with the subtle instrumental landscape that lies beneath those harmonies. Although Eisley's music touches on anything from the Beatles to the Cranberries, there is something present in this music that I've never heard before. You should buy this album. It is, in my opinion, the most unique component of my music collection. ... and just for a reference point, some of my other favorite artists include Pinback, Jeff Buckley, Over the Rhine, Model Engine, Breaking Benjamin, Blind Melon, Muse, Modest Mouse, and Standing on Earth. I hope this helps...

I love it when I can't get enough of an album in it's entirety.
This is one of those albums.
I absolutely love "Trolley Wood". It is a stress reliever.
Why is this music hard to come by, but yet music like Britney Spears and Limp Bizkit shoved down our throats?
This is a quality record.