Eisley Album: “Combinations: Special Edition”

"I glimpsed a bat with butterfly wings, oh, marvelous things"?

Hmm...not so much.

Indie-pop band Eisley (made up of siblings Stacy DuPree, Chauntelle DuPree, Weston DuPree, and Sherri DuPree-Gilbert and their cousin Garron DuPree) from Tyler, Texas, isn't writing about make belive anymore. It's a little sad for someone who loved their first CD "Room Noises" as much as I did. However, "Combinations", though much, much different, is still one of my favorite CD's of all time.

It starts out strong with "Many Funerals", which has a much harder rock sound than anything heard from Eisley since "Over the Mountains" from their "Laughing City EP". For those of us who've heard songs from back when Eisley was young (songs like "Pretender", "Dream for Me", and "Blackened Crown"), it's not such a surprise. Overall, it's a strong track which really sets the tone for the rest of the record.

Next is the first single from the album, "Invasion". Based on the novel "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", it has some of that previous Eisley fantasy attached, but is still so different. The best parts are the keyboards at the beginning and Stacy's bridge part, "And they will tray to make us forget ourselves/One by one/One by one/Call me crazy but they are after us/One by one/One by one".

"Taking Control" is third. At first, I wasn't too fond of this cut, but after listening to it more, it's kind of grown on me. The chorus is very catchy.

Up next are twin tracks "Go Away" and "I Could Be There For You". I say that they're twins because they go together. Once you listen to them, you'll understand. "Go Away" is definitley one of my favorite tracks on the whole album. The back-and-forth "I am holding you"s are just magical, and the instruments really seem to blend on this tune in particular. Like "Taking Control", "I Could Be There For You" has taken a while to grow on me. My favorite part is hearing Chauntelle singing on the bridge ("You'll never contemplate that I am near/And help goes unseen/You're the cave, admitting whom you choose/And I could be there for you"). I still can't understand why she's nervous about singing. She's just as good as her sisters! Hopefully we'll hear more of Chauntelle on future records.

"Come Clean" is another of my favorites. From the strumming ukelele in the beginning to the ENTIRE band (boys included) singing the chorus at the end, it's a charming little tune that's guarenteed to get stuck in your head.

The country-tinged "Ten Cent Blues" again shows the versatility of the band and goes back to old-school Eisley's story-songs like "One Day I Slowly Floated Away". The guitars are the real focus of this song, and Sherri and Chauntelle do a really good job.

"A Sight To Behold" is probably my least favorite cut, probably because it's just too tough for my tastes. Sherri and Stacy also sound a bit too polished and pretty for the tune. The fancy harmonies just don't fit in my opinion.

The title track is most likely my favorite song out of this album, and maybe my favorite Eisley song. The marxophone, I think it is, that starts the tune adds to the mystique of the verses and enhances the piano on the chorus (I went for dso long and I was so wrong/And then I met you/And now I can't live without you/And I don't want to/I've done that all my life up til now), sung beautifully by the sisters. I can't decide if Chauntelle sings the bridge on this one or not, but whoever does sounds lovely.

The closer, "If You're Wondering", is like a music box lullaby - lovely, swirling vocals entwined with tinkling little instruments. If nothing else on this album is worthwhile, this song would make it worthwhile. It's haunting, almost, but in a beautiful way. The gentle sound of rain falling closes the song and the album.

All in all, "Combinations" is a new kind of sound from Eisley, but it keeps all the beauty and talent from previous recordings and increases it.

Top Tracks: "Invasion", "Go Away", "Come Clean", "Combinations", and, if nothing else, "If You're Wondering".

Beautifully produced with more wonderful songs from this gem of a family band. This album takes you from the sci-fi lyric and pop/rock beat of "invasion" to the loveliness of the sublime 'if you're wondering' with everything inbetween. The soaring 'combination' of Sherri and Stacy's vocals is intoxicating to the ears. I bought the limited edition with an excellent dvd included which is well worth watching over again.

I cannot rate this band highly enough. Hardly known in the UK they deserve a much wider audience.

Great band, and an excellent sophomore effort. I hope Eisley's not dumping their fantastical lyrics for more commercial appeal. In any case, Combinations is one heck of an album and the band is fabulous.

The first time I heard of Eisley was at least four or five years ago. I remember watching MTV and seeing them featured on "You Hear It First." At that time, this underdog band from Texas had little to show for their efforts except for an EP and a tour with Coldplay. Still, the band aroused my interest, and I kept them on my radar. It wasn't until I saw them live in January of 2005 that I finally fell in love with them. Their debut full-length album was released just a few weeks later, and I can remember rushing into my local store minutes after they opened so that I could get a copy. "Room Noises" was a marvelous and wonderful album. It is one of the few albums that you can listen and just drift off to. The DuPree sisters were able to craft stories and imagery that was simply beyond their years, and the music they created was absolutely dreamy. It's been about 2 1/2 years since then and my hopes have been high for another brilliant album for some time. The question is, "Does 'Combinations' live up to it's predecessor?"

When you hit "Play" on your CD player, it's immediately clear that what you are about to hear will sound very little like "Room Noises." The lead-off track, "Many Funerals" is a very straight-forward rock track, completely unlike anything we've heard from the band before. In the chorus, the sisters sing "Break, break down!" over an aggressive guitar and bass. Is this really Eisley? Indeed, it is. While the song isn't bad by any means, it can definitely catch you off guard if you're not anticipating it.

Get used to it though. Eisley takes a much more traditional approach to making music this time around. Their lyrics are much more straightforward now, often singing about things that are relatable rather than fairies and forests. At the same time though, their sound is more polished and they sound more cohesive as a band than they ever have before. Their hooks are stronger, and they play their instruments with confidence. It's a trade off, because even though they sound much more talented on "Combinations," they don't sound as dreamy and innocent as they once did.

The first single, "Invasion," is really the closest that the DuPrees come to capturing the wanderlust of "Room Noises." Here, the sisters sing "Ooh, something's not right" in a wavy vocal style that sounds very familiar, very comforting. The next song, "Taking Control" is my personal favorite on the album. It sounds like nothing that they've done before, but the chorus is unbelievably infectious. The pianos, guitars, drums, and vocals blend perfectly to form a truly memorable pop rock song.

The band slows down a bit on "Go Away," the album's first real ballad, and a showcase for the group's unparalleled ability to harmonize with one another. When they sing "Go away, go away and leave me on my own" it moved me in a way that few songs have been able to this year, and as such, it stands out on the album. "Come Clean" is another ballad, but this time the vocals are not as much of a group effort. At the same time, however, the band shows off their talent on their respective instruments. Gentle guitar plucks and the frantic strums of a mandolin form the backdrop for this very soothing song. The song ends with the band singing "Come clean all around me" together before fading into the sounds of children playing. Beautiful.

"Ten Cent Blues" takes a very real look at relationships and the feeling of not being able to compete with someone to whom you feel you are physically inferior to. She sings about how the other girl is cheesy, and has no wit before conceding "I'm sorry I don't have her face, and I'm probably gonna lose this race." It's a far cry from Eisley of old, but it's nice to hear the earnest words of an artist every now and then rather than just fictional tales. "Combinations" wraps up with the bizarre, yet impressive "A Sight To Behold," the cutesy, yet dull title track, and the undeniably gorgeous and lullabye-like "If You're Wondering." It's a brief, but welcomed trip back to the fantasy world of earlier Eisley albums.

When it's all said and done, I can't help but have mixed feelings about "Combinations." It's obvious to me that the DuPrees have grown substantially as musicians since I first saw them play live several years ago, and their music has become more solid because of it. However, I miss the fantasy and wanderlust of "Room Noises" and their earlier EPs very much. I suppose it's just something I'll have to get over, because at it's core "Combinations" is a very impressive album. It's a work that can stand on it's own, apart from their past recordings. It may not be as immediately endearing, but Eisley has not let us down.

Recommended for fans of Eisley, Sixpence None the Richer, and anyone who wants to hear the best Tyler, Texas has to offer.

Key Tracks:

1. "Many Funerals"

2. "Taking Control"

3. "Go Away"

4. "Come Clean"

5. "If You're Wondering"

7 out of 10 Stars

I have been a big fan of Eisley since 2003 and was really looking forward to hearing new music. The most captivating elements of their songs are the dreamy sweet harmonies, and the hauntingly beautiful piano arrangements. Whimsical storybook lyrics added to the mystique of this band.

Combinations leaves me with a hollow heart. I feel like my favorite band has lost the magic that graced their last album and EPs. The lyrics are vague and repetitive, and the vocals do not have even half the sincerity that I heard on Room Noises. And where are Stacy's imaginative enchanting electric piano arrangements that I so looked forward to hearing? Nowhere to be found.

The album is a bit of a disappointment. Sorry to say.