Earlimart - Hymn and Her Review

The kind of emotion-drenched indie-pop that fills "Hymn and Her" is nothing new for Earlimart -- the group delivered a fine album of confessional lyrics and inventive, engaging music last year with "Mentor Tormentor," a major step in its steady rise toward the top tier of L.A. bands.

Releasing another full-length effort less than a year later is unusual, but the accelerated pace might account for the infusion of freshness that makes "Hymn and Her" so arresting....full text Earlimart took a casual approach to Mentor Tormentor, an intricate album whose creation spanned the course of three years. Songs were written at an unhurried pace while the group toured in support of its previous record, made the switch to a different record label, and pursued individual solo projects. So perhaps it's strange that Earlimart's follow-up, Hymn and Her, arrives just one year after Tormentor's 2007 release. It's the fastest turnaround of any Earlimart album, suggesting either a burst of inspiration or a slapdash, all-too-fast approach to songwriting. Fortunately, Hymn and Her features the same sun-baked slices of indie pop that made Mentor Tormentor and Treble & Tremble such appetizing fare....full text In keeping with the lo-fi nature of 2007's "Mentor Tormentor," Earlimart, the still-twosome of Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray, issues another set of dreamy, rainy-day tunes with "Hymn and Her." The songs are bathed in warm, rich textures and Espinoza's and Murray's soft, breathy vocals, as the album moves from pop (the lightly chugging "Song For," "For the Birds") to wistful slow numbers (the Grandaddy-esque "Face Down in the Wrong Town," the string-laced title track) and grittier rock ("Teeth"). Although little on "Hymn and Her" finds Earlimart venturing into new territory, there's a familiarity felt throughout that remains comforting, and sometimes that's just enough....full text